Training of Rural Women to Monitor the Water Quality at the Point of Use to Increase WASH Empowerment in Rural India

Rural India grapples with significant struggles in providing clean and safe access to water, sanitation and hygiene measures which have a higher impact on women and children. Inadequate access and lack of proper house-holds water treatment and storage practices often leads to contamination and deteriorated health conditions. This study explores the intersection of WASH and women's empower-ment focussing on a intervention in rural Karnataka, India where women were trained to be Water Ambassadors(WA) in Point of use water quality monitoring using low cost sensors and mobile application. Through a qualitative methodology using in depth interviews and focus group discussion with the women, the study intended to examine the impact on women's sense of agency, well-being, decision making and community engagement. The themes reveal that training had a significant impact on WA's knowledge and confidence, equipping them to influence both household and community water practices, despite being affected by behavioural and cultural resistance. The study highlights the importance of integrating women's empowerment in WASH initiative to bring out gender equality and women's empowerment. With women's involvement, the intervention provided community resilience in water practices and underscored the potential of a technology driven solution to improve WASH outcomes in rural areas.