Unsung heroes: social safety nets for sanitation workers

When Kona Nagmoni Lata goes to work, her health – and often her life – is at risk. 

Kona is a sweeper, a type of sanitation worker who clears rubbish and cleans public toilets in Bangladesh's densely populated capital, Dhaka. 

Sanitation workers play a crucial role in protecting our health and keeping our surroundings clean. They empty septic tanks and pits, unblock clogged sewers, clean public toilets, and operate treatment plants – services that are key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and safely managed sanitation. 

"Sometimes, I come into contact with human faeces in my work, but I can only wipe it off with a cloth. There are no handwashing stations where I work so I have to wait to go back to the office to wash my hands."

Like many sanitation workers, Kona doesn't have personal protective equipment, so she's exposed to human waste, toxic gases and other hazardous objects, putting her at risk of infections, injuries, and even death. COVID-19 made the situation even worse for sanitation workers, and informal, poorly paid work and social stigma still exacerbate the challenges they face. 

Despite these risks, sanitation workers have difficulty accessing social protection, such as pensions and health and life insurance, leaving them and their families struggling if they are injured or killed.  

“It’s hard work and if something happens to me during the course of my job, I will get no compensation.”

But we're working with our partners to turn the tide for these critical workers. In this edition of WASH Matters, find out how we're improving access to social protection for sanitation workers, and explore the importance of safely managed sanitation.

Md. Tahmidul Islam , Head of Technical Services at WaterAid Bangladesh

Shasthya Nirapotta Scheme: providing affordable insurance for sanitation workers

Sanitation workers perform an essential public health service, but struggle to access social protection. To change this, WaterAid Bangladesh and Waadaa.Insure have launched the Shasthya Nirapotta Scheme – an affordable insurance scheme that offers sanitation workers and their families health protection and financial security.

Improving access to social protection for sanitation workers in South Asia

Social protection schemes can help build resilience, end intergenerational poverty, and tackle social exclusion. Explore our assessment of the social protection schemes available to sanitation workers in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, and recommendations to improve access.

Sanitation crisis: the urgent need to accelerate progress

There is a global sanitation crisis: 1.5 billion people in the world don't have a decent toilet of their own. Andrés Hueso González discusses the urgent need to accelerate progress towards safely managed sanitation, so people can live dignified and healthy lives. 

How sanitation can help tackle climate change

Sanitation services can reduce emissions and improve the health and resilience of communities and ecosystems. Yet they're still not part of global climate conversations. Hear from the Climate-Resilient Sanitation Coalition, which we’re a part of, on how sanitation can help solve the climate crisis.

Regional collaboration to improve public sanitation in South Asia

South Asia, home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population, faces many challenges related to public sanitation. But the region has also been a leader in developing innovative solutions. In a knowledge sharing initiative, country representatives from across South Asia gathered to exchange their learnings and ideas.

Sanitation in challenging environments in Cambodia

From floating communities to areas with hard rocky ground, thousands of families in Cambodia live in environments that make it difficult to establish sanitation services. Explore the approaches and recommendations of the country's sanitation sector to provide everyone with sanitation services – no matter where they live.

More from our experts

• WaterAid and working towards Sustainable Development Goal 6: Tom Muller , Chief Executive of WaterAid Australia , speaks to Inside Water Magazine about progress towards the global goal on clean water and sanitation.
• David Lammy must lead the way on access to clean water: Tim Wainwright , Chief Executive of WaterAid UK, calls on the UK’s new foreign secretary to take bold action on clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

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