Paper short abstract:

Focus is on gendered urban vulnerabilities at the household level and resultant inequities in access, based on a study conducted in a low-income, coastal community in Lagos, Nigeria. The paper problematizes the gendered bodily impact of water and sanitation poverty linking it with justice/policy.

Paper long abstract:

The mission of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, with a commitment to leave no one behind. This commitment is embraced not only by Nigeria but also by numerous other countries globally. While the conventional focus on measuring progress typically centres on assessing access to improved facilities, this approach often neglects the gendered dimensions such as ease and dignity of access, and the bodily experiences and impacts associated with access. The quality of access that an individual enjoys is determined by factors such as gender, geographical location, and economic capacity. The complicating factor of climate change further exacerbates this equation, with females experiencing distinct impacts from males, and the poor facing significant challenges due to water and sanitation poverty.

This paper delves into the "private" household domain, presenting key findings from conducted fieldwork looking at quality from the demand rather than the supply lens. Unlike standard measurements of improved/unimproved facilities, these case studies vividly illustrate the linkages between SDG 6 and the achievement of gender equality (SDG 5), as well as SDGs 1, 3, and 4—no poverty, good health and wellbeing, and quality education, respectively. This insight can empower policymakers to understand the gender dimensions of access and to strategically address these and associated barriers to water and sanitation access, crucial for achieving transformative and sustainable change—the overarching vision of SDG 6.