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Common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 83k
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur therefore focuses her recommendations on how to more effectively ensure that violations are identified, prevented and remedied, with an emphasis on those areas which have been most neglected. She recommends that States:] Ratify or otherwise accept all optional communications procedures, including the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights , the Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women , and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including their inquiry mechanisms;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 76c (vi)
- Paragraph text
- [Against this background, the Special Rapporteur recommends the following:] Recommendations regarding data sources and methodology: The monitoring of gender, age, and disability-related inequalities in public facilities such as schools and health facilities should be enhanced;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 89c
- Paragraph text
- [Relating to funders’ policy, the Special Rapporteur recommends:] That the human rights to water and sanitation be emphasized in funders’ policy on specific groups, such as women, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples, complementing overarching development cooperation policies;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- What is considered "abnormal" changes over time and place, while the targets of stigma are always those who do not fit the "social norm". In some instances, stigma is attached to a person's social identity, especially in relation to one's gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, caste or race. Many ethnic groups experience very pronounced stigma. Stigma is also a common reaction to health conditions such as HIV/AIDS and some forms of disabilities. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights explicitly calls on States to "adopt measures to address widespread stigmatization of persons on the basis of their health status, such as mental illness, diseases such as leprosy and women who have suffered obstetric fistula". Indeed, stigma is often closely linked to the body as a site of the "normal" and the "different" and as a vehicle of contagion, especially in terms of sexuality and disease. Furthermore, stigma is frequently attached to activities that are considered "immoral", "detrimental to society" or "dirty", affecting, for instance, sex workers, sanitation workers, prisoners and homeless people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The invisibility created by stigma also has negative impacts on the situation of some persons with disabilities. The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion people worldwide live with some kind of physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment. However, due to the silence and shame created by stigma, persons with disabilities and their needs are often rendered invisible, making it impossible for them to enjoy a range of human rights, as most practices, services and facilities are biased against them. In some societies, persons with disabilities are perceived as "problems to be fixed" or as a "burden". According to information received by the Special Rapporteur, in extreme cases, children and adults with mental disabilities have literally been tied up inside the home-with no access to sanitation-to hide them from the community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Sanitation shared between a few households, where all residents know each other and maintenance and cleaning is shared, is a common form of access in many countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This form of access can contribute to the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation, where the construction and maintenance of the toilet or latrine is adequate, and where everyone within the households has access to the toilet or latrine, regardless of their age, physical ability or status within the household. There may be particular concerns for persons with disabilities, children, older persons, people with a chronic illness (which may be stigmatized, such as HIV), renters or those who do not belong to the main household. In some cultures, menstruating women are not allowed to use a latrine shared by other people, and this problem may be compounded when the latrine is shared by several households (see A/67/270, para. 73).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Acceptability of services can be achieved by taking users’ distinct characteristics, habits, preferences, needs and beliefs into account during project design and implementation. Attention to acceptability was observed in a project that used participatory methods to inform the design of several schools’ sanitation facilities. Occurring in a majority Muslim community, the project took into consideration the community members’ particular preferences for the design of toilet facilities, in addition to the needs of persons with disabilities, who were also included in the participatory processes. Activities to promote awareness throughout the implementation of projects can also encourage behavioural change and lead to greater acceptability of services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Currently, household surveys do not collect information about intrahousehold differences in access such as by sex, age, or disability. However, they could be amended to capture this dimension by focusing on the actual use of water, sanitation and hygiene by all individuals within a household which would allow for such monitoring. The Special Rapporteur's experience notes that interviewing women, children or persons with disabilities often draws a different picture of actual use of existing facilities, as well as of the existing barriers that explain lack of use.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Violations of rights to non-discrimination and equality infuse other rights violations. What has become increasingly clear to the Special Rapporteur is that systemic and widespread denials of access to water and sanitation are first and foremost driven by patterns of discrimination, stigmatization and exclusion. Challenging violations of rights to water and sanitation invariably confronts endemic patterns of inequalities. More efforts are needed, in particular with regard to challenging discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, inequalities based on socioeconomic status, and discrimination and stigmatization deeply entrenched in society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- One example of relevance to the present report is the European Union, which has human rights obligations as a part of treaty obligations. Article 21 (2) of the Treaty on the European Union establishes a mandate for the organization to support human rights in all fields of international relations. The European Union is also directly bound by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which it ratified in 2010, particularly article 28, relating to the human right to water, and article 32, relating to international development. Therefore, the obligation to implement human rights in the European Union’s development cooperation applies to European Union institutions responsible for formulating development policies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 56b
- Paragraph text
- [Examples of violations of the right to equality and non-discrimination can be grouped in the following categories:] Failure to reasonably accommodate persons with disabilities and take into account particular requirements;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- While the focus in combating stigma must be on bringing about societal change and changes in attitude, technical measures are still crucial to ensure accessibility, for instance for persons with disabilities or older persons, as are public health measures to prevent and cure neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation systems should be adjusted to avoid manual sanitation work. The provision of adequate facilities is crucial for menstrual hygiene management, since it is often the lack of a safe and clean space that prevents women and girls from exercising proper hygiene.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Access to justice must not only be provided for in the law, but be ensured in practice. States should ensure accountability mechanisms that are accessible, affordable, timely and effective. Stigmatized individuals are often affected by a range of barriers in accessing the courts and other mechanisms, including physical, economic or linguistic barriers. States should take measures to ensure physical access to buildings, for instance for persons with disabilities (see Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, art. 13), adopt legal aid schemes, and provide relevant information in local languages, among other relevant measures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Hygiene facilities must be physically accessible for everyone within or in the immediate vicinity of each household, health or educational institution, public institutions and places, and the workplace. Ideally, they should be located adjacent to toilets. Women, persons with disabilities, children and others may have particular hygiene requirements. Access to hygiene facilities should be secure and convenient for all users, including children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, women, including pregnant women, and chronically ill people. Moreover, hygiene facilities need to be accessible on a reliable and continuous basis, at home, work and school, and in public places, as to satisfy all needs throughout the day.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Such targeting and prioritizing requires States to take differences into account rather than treating equally what is unequal. Treating people who are unequal the same does not achieve equality, but instead reinforces disadvantage. For persons with disabilities, article 5, paragraph 3, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities explicitly requires States to "take all appropriate steps to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided". Where States adopt temporary special measures or affirmative action to achieve such prioritization and target disadvantaged groups and individuals, this is not discrimination, but rather a means to achieve substantive equality by redistributing power and resources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Therefore, the key question to ask in order to achieve an equitable redistribution and to set priorities in policy-making and resource allocation is: who has been and who is being disadvantaged? Undertaking this analysis through the lens of equality and non-discrimination will demonstrate that the unserved and underserved are not randomly distributed. It will often point to communities in informal settlements, especially those that do not have security of tenure, as well as in remote rural areas. It will expose entrenched gender inequalities and the disadvantages and barriers faced by persons with disabilities, older persons and chronically ill people. It will point to patterns of neglect in service provision for communities that belong predominantly to indigenous peoples or ethnic minorities. It will bring discrimination on the basis of language, caste or religion to the fore.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Private facilities in or close to the home provide for privacy and safety, which is particularly relevant for women and girls, particularly the eldest, those living with disabilities and those who are pregnant or menstruating. Moreover, it is estimated that one in four women over the age of 35 experiences incontinence and that women disproportionately suffer from a lack of adequate and private facilities. Having a water supply on the premises reduces the time spent on fetching water, cleaning the household and caring for family members. It eliminates the need for transportation and the risk of unsafe storage, reducing the risk of health problems such as musculoskeletal disorders and water-related diseases. States must prioritize water and sanitation provision to households not yet served and, in particular, those households where women and girls have the least adequate alternatives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- With respect to sanitation, regulatory frameworks should prescribe a sufficient number of sanitation facilities within, or in the immediate vicinity, of each household (see A/HRC/12/24, para. 70). The assessment of the sanitation requirements of any community must be informed by the context, as well as the characteristics of particular groups which may have different sanitation needs (e.g. women, persons with disabilities, children). Where a piped network is not available, regulation should consider the possibility of alternative solutions, such as the construction and maintenance of sanitation facilities, and the disposal and treatment of waste water. In cases where sanitation facilities are shared, regulation should envisage a sufficient number of facilities available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- A regulatory interpretation of physical accessibility of water and sanitation facilities should provide as minimum standards that these facilities are within safe physical reach or in the immediate vicinity of each household at all times of day and night. In its proposed indicators for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal 6, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation suggests that a round trip to access an improved drinking water source should not take longer than 30 minutes, including queuing (basic level), and that a basic level of sanitation should provide access to an improved sanitation facility not shared with other households. Furthermore, regulation should specifically address the situation of those with special needs in terms of accessibility, such as children, persons with disabilities, older persons, pregnant women, and people with special health conditions, and advise that the design of sanitation facilities accommodates their specific needs, while being technically safe to use. Places such as schools, preschools, care homes and detention centres require specific regulations to ensure physical accessibility.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observed that the human rights framework might be incorporated in overarching policies that broadly encompass all development cooperation operations or in policies or strategies specifically designed for the water and sanitation sector. Furthermore, policies and strategies were also identified that focused on specific groups, such as women, indigenous populations and persons with disabilities, which occasionally included particular considerations for those people’s needs related to water and sanitation. However, in order to balance the multiple topics of relevance to the present report, funders’ general development cooperation policies and specific policies on water and sanitation are addressed herein.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Human rights law requires that sanitation facilities be reliably accessible to satisfy all needs throughout the day and the night, and meet the needs of their users. A lack of adequate facilities in public spaces often leads women and girls to avoid the public and both work and school life, particularly during menstruation, when they live with disabilities or suffer from incontinence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Evidence shows that women and girls, older people, people with chronic illnesses and persons with disabilities often face particular barriers in accessing water and sanitation, and that these barriers are experienced both within the household and when accessing community and public facilities. Global monitoring data have demonstrated that women and girls shoulder the burden of collecting household water, restricting their time for other activities, including education and work. Moreover, when households share sanitation facilities, women and girls may be required by social norms concerning privacy to avoid using the facilities except during hours of darkness, when their personal safety may be at increased risk. When sanitation and water facilities are not designed with them in mind, older persons and those with physical access constraints, including disabilities may face obstacles to accessing and using these facilities. Such discrimination based on sex/gender, age, disability, and health status occurs across the globe and in all strata of society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Much has been learned through questions in household surveys about intrahousehold inequalities related to water collection. Much less is known about such inequalities concerning sanitation and hygiene, and about water, sanitation and hygiene-related household inequalities concerning age and disability. Given that not all households share resources and assets equally among their members and that some may be relatively more privileged than others, commanding more income and accessing greater consumption opportunities, it is imperative to accurately disaggregate intrahousehold data regarding household resources such as water and sanitation. There is evidence that intrahousehold inequality and poverty may disproportionately affect women, persons with disabilities, children and older persons. Targets and indicators should be phrased to require monitoring of intrahousehold inequalities. They should shine a powerful light on areas that need change and ensure that monitoring is in line with the human rights imperative to overcome inequalities wherever they occur.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- States not only have to create or promote spaces for participation, but also must enable people to eliminate barriers to accessing deliberative processes. People must have information on how to access these spaces and the procedures for getting involved. One expert has interpreted article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to require "space" and "voice", i.e., the child must have the opportunity to express his/her views with adequate facilitation. The Committee on the Rights of the Child points out that "[t]hose responsible for hearing the child have to ensure that the child is informed about her or his right to express her or his opinion in all matters affecting the child.… The decision maker must adequately prepare the child before the hearing, … and has to take account of the views of the child in this regard". Article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States parties to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in public life and actively promote an adequate environment for that purpose.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Standards in regulations and building codes should include special needs for women and girls, and must be developed for schools, hospitals, the workplace, market places, places of detention and public transport hubs and public institutions, among other places. Standards should consider general menstrual hygiene needs, but also who the users are likely to be. Standards must subsequently be implemented, put in practice and accordingly be enforced at all levels. Everyone should be able to use the toilet corresponding to the person's gender identity and States must pay attention to the special needs of more vulnerable persons, including those with disabilities and the elderly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights goes on to guarantee that "everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks", thus including an explicit guarantee of protection against interference by private parties. This results in a positive obligation of States parties to protect privacy against interference and attacks by others, which has been found to be of particular relevance, for instance, in relation to persons deprived of personal liberty, older persons, persons with disabilities or transgendered persons. This provision is of enormous significance in the context of combatting stigma. It clearly demonstrates that States' obligations reach into the private sphere. They cannot dismiss stigma as a social phenomenon over which States have no influence. Instead, they have positive obligations that extend into this realm, requiring States, for instance, to take measures that enable women and girls to manage their menstrual hygiene needs in a manner that protects their privacy and dignity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Negative examples abound of the failure to achieve the appropriate balance between technical expertise and knowledge gained through experience. For example, there have been cases where providing communities with latrines using subsidies and a standard model design was expected to solve the rural sanitation problem. However, it emerged that the latrines were often not used, or were used as storage facilities or to house livestock. On the other hand, where modifications to water and sanitation facilities are needed to ensure accessibility by disabled persons, specialist knowledge plays a useful role by informing the process of analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each option so that people can make an informed choice in light of their particular needs. Testimony can be extremely powerful and effective for bringing people's experiences to bear. "Poverty truth commissions" can lead to a useful inversion of power dynamics, with those who have become experts through experience testifying and those "in power" hearing the testimony. The process ensures that people experiencing poverty are at the heart of developing solutions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Direct participation poses challenges in terms of processing and responding to the variety of inputs. Channelling participation through representatives other than democratically elected officials is seen as a solution to making participation manageable, but it poses difficult questions and runs the risk of creating and reinforcing exclusions. People hold rights as individuals and have varied and often conflicting views and interests, which makes it difficult for anyone to represent anyone else. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, for instance, stresses that persons with disabilities must be enabled to participate, not only organizations working on their behalf (arts. 29, 33 (3)). However, there is a need to facilitate participatory processes and come to decisions that reflect everyone's interest to the largest extent possible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Compounded gender stereotypes can have a disproportionately negative impact, in particular on the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation, on certain groups of women, such as women with disabilities, women from minority or indigenous groups, women from lower caste groups and women of lower economic status. They may moreover become further compounded when they intersect with other forms of stigma or taboos, like those linked to menstruation and perimenopause, incontinence or childbirth-related complications, such as obstetric fistula. The power of stereotypes, stigmas, taboos and gender-assigned roles is such that persons sometimes do not claim their legal rights for fear or because of the pressure placed on them to conform to societal expectations. These deeply entrenched issues call for approaches that go beyond formal protection in the law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- One project aiming to provide piped water to a small town excluded some of the poorest inhabitants who were living in more distant locations from that town. A common rationale that is cited to justify such exclusion is the standard of maximum per capita cost of investment in water and sanitation. Such standards can result in the exclusion of more dispersed populations or populations who live in areas where solutions entail greater costs. That project failed to adhere to the principle of equality and non-discrimination by intentionally excluding certain inhabitants from its scope. Conversely, the project specifically took into consideration persons with disabilities in the project’s intervention area and ensured their inclusion through a baseline study aimed at identifying such individuals. Moreover, local entrepreneurs were trained to design appropriate toilets according to the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph