From Khalid Idris Doya, Bauchi
The Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA III) programme has empowered 1,237 women to take on leadership roles in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects across Adamawa State.
The initiative, implemented by the Adamawa State Government with support from the Government of the Netherlands and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), focuses on delivering climate-resilient WASH services while promoting gender inclusion.
Under its Gender-Transformative WASH component, the programme aims to ensure that WASH services are gender-sensitive and responsive, addressing the specific needs of women and girls in their communities.
Speaking to journalists after a field visit to Ganye and Shelleng Local Government Areas, the ASWA III Desk Officer at the Adamawa State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (ADRUWASSA), Yusuf Aisha Isa, said the programme has positioned women at the forefront of community WASH management.
According to her, the women are serving in leadership roles within Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs), where they oversee local water facilities, promote hygiene practices, and drive behavioural change, including the construction and use of household latrines.
She added that women are also actively engaged in WASH-related livelihoods, particularly as Toilet Business Owners (TBOs), where they construct, sell, and manage sanitation facilities.
“The goal is to place women at the centre of sustainable WASH systems, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met,” she said.
Isa revealed that the programme has so far reached over 121,000 women and girls across the state with essential WASH services.
“We have encouraged women to participate in sanitation businesses, including toilet construction and management of public facilities, to improve both access and economic opportunities,” she added.
Also speaking, UNICEF WASH Officer, Bauchi Field Office, Nanbam Dawap Michael, said the initiative is helping to address the long-standing dominance of men in WASH project implementation, which has often limited women’s access to services.
She stressed that women’s participation is critical to the success of WASH interventions, as it ensures that their needs are properly reflected in project design and delivery.
Michael further noted that the ASWA III programme is playing a key role in advancing gender policy implementation within the Adamawa State Government.
