Gender, rural-urban residence and sanitation behaviour: A case study of Bishnupur District in Manipur

The study probes into patterns of sanitation behaviour at personal, household and community levels. Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes as well as the treatment and proper disposal of sewage wastewater. Hazards can be either, physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems include human and animal faeces, solid wastes, domestic wastewater (sewage, grey water), industrial wastes and agricultural wastes. Hygienic means of prevention can be by using engineering solutions (e.g. sewage and wastewater treatment), simple technologies (e.g. simple hand washing with soap). The World Health Organization states that: Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word ‘sanitation’ also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal. As such it signifies the interventions made to reducing people's exposure to diseases, which usually include disposing and hygienic management of human excreta, animal excreta and waste water, control of diseases and provision of water facilities for personal and domestic hygiene (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council 2011). Gender refers to distinction of men and women among the people which creates inequality in their sanitation behaviour. Socio cultural factors such as rural-urban residence may affect sanitation behaviour among the people. Sanitation behaviour is the acts of individuals, household and community oriented to efficient disposal of any kind of disease-causing substance; namely, human waste (excreta urine, sweating, nails etc), animal, excreta and carcasses, garbage, wreckage,dirt, spit, stagnant water, etc and as a result people get clean and disease-free living and health protection.