"Sanitation is Dignity"… but what about the Dignity of Sanitation Workers?

 

sourced from: http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/12/human-rights-not-sanitation-workers/ 

"Sanitation is Dignity"… but what about the Dignity of Sanitation Workers?

The saying “water is life, but sanitation is dignity” is widely used in the WASH discourse to draw attention to how overlooked sanitation is in development agendas. But what is even more neglected is the actors that uphold informal sanitation systems. Places like Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, where over 26% of waste is managed with little more than bare hands, highlights how sanitation workers are at the forefront of providing an essential service within densely populated urban communities, where there is an absence of a working sewerage system. Insights from situated Urban Political Ecology (UPE), a geographical subfield that seeks to understand the (re)production of inequalities in urban environment through “an engagement with the everyday that is rooted in local contexts and identities” (Cornea et al.2017: 730), allows us to recognises how deeply political the management of waste and sanitation, and its implications on working conditions. Exploring the invisible labour of sanitation workers through this perspective can therefore bring to light how these challenges can be addressed as well.

Depending on the system, the roles of sanitation workers vary from emptying pit latrine and transporting the waste, to unclogging sewers and manholes. The stigma associated with the nature of their work, however, is what renders their contributions invisible as the handling of human waste is seen as an “unclean” and “lowly” practice. The cultural imaginations of waste as “matter out of place” (Douglas, 1966) and the subsequent emotions of ‘disgust’ that it revokes extend to those who handle waste as well; reinforcing the social marginalisation and the dismissal of sanitation workers. Furthermore, the informality of their work means that they have no protections- in a legal and literal sense. They work without any personal protection equipment (PPE) and manually handle faecal sludge, exposing themselves to hazardous gases within confined spaces which result in an array of medical problems including cholera, hepatitis and eye/skin irritations, to name a few (WHO, 2018). Similarly, the disposal of broken glass and other dangerous materials within sanitation facilities pose as a safety risk also.

Manual Emptier- Sourced from: http://waterforruralafrica.org/2019/11/15/new-report-on-the-plight-of-sanitation-workers-in-the-developing-world/

The invisibility and stigmatisation of sanitation workers means that they are unable to access support from governments and the communities that they work for- whether this be in the form of safe equipment, or socially thorough respect and rights. In order to address this, the World Bank report suggests policy and regulatory reforms, which entails a gradual formalisation of sanitation work. The report acknowledges the limitations this may have, but the anticipated improvements to the safeguarding of workers- through setting safety standards and monitoring its enforcement- should not be understated.

But before this all this, the priority should be restoring the self-respect and dignity of workers. Bezwada Wilson notes: “Whatever the wages, whatever the safety gear, human beings should not clean other people’s shit”, which in an ideal world, should be the case. But it is naïve to imagine sanitation systems operating without manual handling, particularly in squatter settlements where the technological alternatives are not yet feasible. So the question is, how can a dignified working environment be fostered in this scenario?

A pragmatic approach would perhaps be to focus on ensuring that workers have protective gears when handling with waste. With the correct tools and PPE, the health and safety risks can be reduced significantly and improve overall living conditions. In Ougadougou, this approach can be seen in practice. The Association of Manual Emptiers of Burkina Faso (ABASE), have made progressive steps in improving working conditions through their role in capacity building and educating workers about more hygienic and profitable practices. Moreover, they assist in the provision of necessary safety equipment and vaccinations, illustrating how workers can be adequately supported and thus made visible to authorities, as ABASE were honoured by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation in 2017. Their successes therefore allowed them to scale up their actions, and they began lobbying the municipality to designate a transfer site for waste emptying, as treatment facilities were located further away and more difficult to access.

The safety and dignity of sanitation workers goes hand in hand with the management of sanitation systems. Recognising the uneven power structures to which sanitation workers are victims of, illuminate how the basic rights and respect for workers is non-existent- despite their critical roles in ensuring the healthy metabolic flow of waste through the city. It is such a shame that entire sanitation systems continue to operate at the expense of these worker’s dignity. This disservice to sanitation workers must be rectified by ensuring that their work is both recognised and safe to helps redeem their dignity. It is through this that the efficiency and sustainability of sanitation systems can be achieved.

             

Here's a video from last year's World Toilet Day, when the ILO, World Bank, WHO and Water Aid reported on the unsafe and undignified working conditions. See some of the stories of sanitation workers from around the world: