World Vision’s Global WASH Program aims to improve child well-being, health, nutrition, and education outcomes by ensuring access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services. To achieve these goals, WASH programming must integrate Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). Vulnerable groups — including women and girls, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities — often face limited access to WASH services and are disproportionately affected by inadequate infrastructure. Harmful social norms can further exclude them from decision-making, while insufficient services increase risks of violence, injury, and illness.
World Vision’s GEDSI approach addresses these barriers by challenging harmful norms, shifting unequal power dynamics, and promoting equity in access, participation, decision-making, and well-being. This guide encourages field offices to innovate and share best practices to ensure WASH services are inclusive, accessible, and transformative.
