The Lesotho Red Cross (LRCS), funded by CS-WASH are working in in two rural districts to deliver WASH Promotion Interventions for Rural Communities. This project has integrated: building latrines and water systems for communities and schools; and training and awareness building of community groups to promote and sustain improved hygiene and sanitation practices. A key element has been supporting women in all target communities to stand up and raise issues that are important to them. Women are now strongly represented on WASH Committees and PHAST groups and leading changes in improving the environments they live in.

LRCS, took International Women’s Day on 8 March 2018 as a catalyst to bring women together to celebrate the advances they have made in taking leadership positions in their communities. In the past they have limited opportunity to be heard in society due to out-dated ideas that women are are unfit to be in leadership roles. Celebrating International Women’s Day created an opportunity for the women to share their experiences and encourage others to step up into leadership roles. 

Women from Lithabaneng and ha Khitsane villages – of all ages and education levels – gathered together to discuss key themes, including how to continue to improve WASH behaviours in their villages and how WASH has helped women realise their rights and recognise gender equality. They also examined cultural and religious taboos that can be barriers for effective menstrual hygiene management.

The women described their satisfaction with the new latrines provided through the project and with the hygiene education they receive from their PHAST group and WASH committee. The Lithabaneng women explained how they have shared this advice with women in other villages, with a belief that hygiene should be their daily life.

“I am very happy as we now know about hygiene. Diarrhoea was very common to adults and kids but now it has reduced a lot,” said Matanki Matli (68 years old), chairperson of WASH committee.

This was echoed by the women from ha Khitsane who said that they are able to prevent many diseases due to living a new, hygienic lifestyle. They pledged to teach men and their children good hygiene practices and they mentioned that men are doing household activities that were previously considered women’s work, like fetching water and washing dishes.

Women from both villages talked of the benefits of the menstrual hygiene education they had received, as they had previously been unaware of the danger associated with unhygienic sanitary towels and disposing of them incorrectly. Both groups also spoke about the shame they had felt at defecating outdoors before latrines were installed:

“I never thought in my whole life I would ever use a latrine. I always see them in towns and thought they were only for rich people… We used to defecate down the stream and in the time of critical moment like having diarrhoea we use to defecate behind our houses and cover with soil and in the morning when flies are all over that that place, the owner will be covered with shame… Now we are dignified women because of the WASH project,” said Matanki Matli.