Provision of a Framework for Addressing and Mainstreaming Gender and HIV/Aids

Kenya’s water sector reform has been supported by the Kenya Water and Sanitation Programme (KWSP). The Programme is expected to lead to substantial social and economic gains and will create outputs that can be measured and monitored both during and after the cooperation effort. It is also expected that the programme will result in substantial gains for the environment (sustainable management of Kenya’s most precious natural resource: water), poverty reduction and equity (including special attention to gender issues, the situation of the child and action prompted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic), human rights (enabling water users to know and use their rights) and good governance (a focus on use of democratic mechanisms to empower consumers and local organizations).

Gender responsiveness has not been adequately recognised in structuring reforms. Such recognition needs to be made not only in the methods and approaches for field work in water and sanitation but also within the operations of sector institutions.

The main objective of the assignment was to assist the Water Service Boards (WSBs) mainstream a Gender and HIV/Aids strategy. The aims are to: a) develop a workplace policy on HIV/Aids, b) develop a workplace gender policy, c) advocacy and promotion of gender and HIV/Aids behaviour change at workplace and community level, and d) ensure gender, HIV/Aids and governance is mainstreamed in the WSB area.