Violence Related to Daily Water and Sanitation Needs in South Africa

There is a critical lack of research on violence experienced by women when meeting their daily water and sanitation needs. This short report describes the cumulative lifetime incidence of exposure to violence when using the toilet or collecting water (water, sanitation, and hygiene [WASH]-related vi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2023-07, Vol.109 (1), p.170-173
Main Authors: Jayaweera, Ruvani T, Goin, Dana E, Twine, Rhian, Neilands, Torsten B, Wagner, Ryan G, Lippman, Sheri A, Kahn, Kathleen, Pettifor, Audrey, Ahern, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Clinical outcomes
Domestic violence
Female
Gender-based violence
Humans
Hygiene
Mental depression
Pregnancy
Sanitation
Short Report
South Africa - epidemiology
Violence
Womens health
Womens rights
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Summary:There is a critical lack of research on violence experienced by women when meeting their daily water and sanitation needs. This short report describes the cumulative lifetime incidence of exposure to violence when using the toilet or collecting water (water, sanitation, and hygiene [WASH]-related violence) and identifies associated health and behavioral risks. Data from 1,870 participants collected in 2013-2015 from a longitudinal cohort of young women in rural South Africa were included in this analysis. We found that exposure to WASH-related violence was high: 25.9% experienced violence when collecting water or when using the toilet. Those who experienced violence were more likely to report pregnancy, an older partner, unprotected sex, experience of intimate partner violence, engaging in transactional sex, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Future research should investigate the location and type of violence experienced and examine how WASH-related violence is related to health outcomes to identify gender-centered WASH interventions that reduce violence exposure.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0087