Greetings John,

Quite an insightful report you have shared here. Great lessons to be picked out that can be adapted in other settings on behaviour change interventions to promote toilet use.

Reading about inconsistent male toilet users taking pledge to use toilets more often is definitely encouraging.  It is great to see community leaders (mostly male) encouraging and promoting  community’s participation in ending open defecation.The most critical barrier to behaviour change is rarely just knowledge, it is the mind-set. Engaging men is critical to combat open defecation. Usually campaigns in the past have focused on women(appealing to their safety, privacy, security, and dignity). Men’s motivations and barriers to toilet use must continue to be addressed.

Involvement of influencers within the community is also key in expanding the impact. As shown within the report and other similar studies, there is a clear gender pattern in toilet usage in villages, with men less likely to use toilets than women. Both men and women are very important at every stage in addressing water and sanitation issues in the sector.

Regards,
Chaiwe

Dear Jsauer, thank you
This is interesting document . 
From the document, I see creativity in your intervention  and you impacted the communities
Yes, Mind set is the most critical barrier to behavior change and you applied appropriate  tool and theme for that.   In addition,  in most rural communities  a man is  decision maker on majority of his family requirements . Therefore, engaging them( men)  is  critical to combat open defecation.
 
Thanks 
Bacha Kitesa   
B.Sc, MPH-Public health specialist and Chief Environmental health Expert 
AA- Ethiopia

Please find the attached the report from Project Savera: Awakening awareness among toilet skeptics: Insights and lessons from PSI’s behavior change interventionto promote toilet use in rural Andhra Pradesh, India funded by Unilever.