Bangladesh Dalit Women Sanitation Workers and the Fight for Water and Dignity
A new report, ‘Left Behind in the Storm: Dalit Women Sanitation Workers and the Fight for Water and Dignity’, documents the huge barriers faced by Dalit (sometimes called “Untouchable”) women sanitation workers in Bangladesh, in accessing safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Unsafe water sources are the norm, resulting in widespread illness. Ponds, often the most accessible water source, are stagnant and contaminated; tube wells frequently contain arsenic, E. coli and salinity. Rainwater is sometimes consumed untreated due to unaffordability and unavailability of purification tablets. During extreme weather and climate-induced events, these hazards multiply, forcing families to drink stored floodwater or pond water.
The report highlights their vulnerability and exclusion in climate change relief programmes. These workers are largely invisible in government policies on climate change, water and sanitation due to their caste, gender and occupation.
“We low caste are forgotten”. One sanitation worker told Amnesty International.
Sanitation workers have no household water connections for drinking, washing, cooking and cleaning. The Bangladeshi government must adopt an anti-discrimination law that includes caste discrimination. This new Active Led Campaign calls on the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the rights of Dalit sanitation workers and urgently address access to water for the community.