Access to emergency sanitation for Pakistani women: a case study in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This paper shares the experience of Action Against Hunger in Pakistan to look for solutions to help women address their individual needs for defecation and menstruation. Displaced and host families are supported by a traditional emergency water, sanitation and hygiene response, but cultural norms and availability of facilities were hiding the specific issues faced by women. The project combined discussion platforms for both women and men, awareness about sanitation risks, and provision of individual items for safer management of sanitary concerns. A safe community pit was provided to dispose of faeces by hand, as a temporary quick and low cost alternative to latrines.