Hi Benny,

Thank you for such an interesting post!

I agree with you and believe that truly impactful innovation should come from the very people who are usually seen as the recipients of services. They should be the drivers of these innovative approaches.

Regarding your point about innovators acknowledging gender needs in designs, but only sparingly implementing them. I completely agree. This is a real challenge on the ground. Too often, we see infrastructure that lacks detailed gender considerations, and I believe there’s much more we can do, especially when serving disadvantaged gender groups and addressing their specific needs, such as those of menstruating persons.

On your observation about how designs address women, I feel that many sanitation designs still fall short of meeting women’s needs, particularly in terms of safety and menstrual hygiene. So I was a bit surprised when I read the comment suggesting that designs are focused on women rather than men. I’d appreciate if you could elaborate a bit more on this, specifically, what gender-related needs for men are currently overlooked, and in what ways are designs falling short for them?

From my experience, there tend to be more urinals available for men, whereas facilities that cater to women’s menstrual hygiene management are often inadequate. These include access to washrooms for privacy, spaces for cleaning up in case of accidents, proper disposal options, and access to sanitary materials such as pads or napkins.

This calls for an interesting discussion. Looking forward to your response and other thoughts from other members. 

Regards,
Chaiwe

Flushing Out Bias: Designing Toilets That Work for Everyone

As the world works toward closing the sanitation gap, innovators are reimagining what toilets can do from safely treating waste onsite to recovering energy and resources. But amid this technological progress, one vital factor still needs greater attention: gender.

A recent study under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Challenge (RTTC) explored how gender influences sanitation technology design and innovation. Through surveys and interviews with 41 global R&D teams, the research found that while most innovators acknowledged gender differences, many still integrated them only superficially.

For instance, most designs addressed women's needs around comfort and menstrual hygiene, but few considered the experiences of men or gender-diverse users. Yet even seemingly neutral features like odour control, lighting, or toilet height revealed distinct gendered preferences once user feedback was collected.

Some of the most meaningful improvements came from listening closely to users. One team redesigned their toilets after women expressed privacy concerns about louvred windows, replacing them with ventilation fans that maintained airflow while enhancing safety. Others adjusted lighting and layout to better accommodate the needs of girls and women in schools and public spaces.

The study also revealed that teams with gender-diverse leadership or social science expertise were more likely to integrate gender perspectives effectively. However, many innovators still lacked the confidence, tools, or frameworks to do so consistently.

The message is clear, gender-responsive design isn't optional, it's essential. Toilets must serve everyone safely and comfortably if they are to be sustainable and widely adopted. This calls for stronger collaboration between engineers, social scientists, and communities; clearer gender guidelines in funding programs; and practical tools to help innovators apply gender-lens thinking from the start.

Ultimately, the future of sanitation innovation depends not only on what technology can do, but on how well it understands the people it serves. After all, the best toilet isn't just one that works, it's one that works for everyone.

References

doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2013.090

doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-1180

doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112562 ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/%28ASCE...#core-collateral-c10