BRAC photo story on gender and poverty.

1. Bilkis and her daughters are not
helpless but fearless
Author : Sharmin Farhat Ubaid, Senior Manager,
BRAC WASH Programme, sharmin.fu@brac.net,
February 2012
Photography by: Sumon Yousuf, Communication
Officer, BRAC Communication Department

2. 2
In Bangladesh,
40% of the
population are
living under
US$ 1 per day
(World Bank,
2011). Many of
these are
single female
heads of
households.

3. Women have lower capacity to pay for water, sanitation
and hygiene products and services, and lack time for
unpaid work and meetings.

4. BRAC WASH
Programme
focuses on
poor specially
on women
and girls as
key and
related
variables to
achieve more
equitable
access to
water and
sanitation
and better
hygiene.

5. BRAC WASH
Programme
follows a
rights based
approach
which values
women and
girls as
individuals
first and then
as key
members of
the family and
household.

6. “The Twin Pit
latrine model” is
an innovation of
BRAC WASH
Programme to
ensure
sustainable use
and
environmental
sanitation. The
Programme has
also advised to
build the latrine
near the
household, for
safety, security
and privacy.

7. Bilkis Begum (35 years) is working as a day
labourer in construction work. She is a single
mother of five children. The latrine outside of
her household was not comfortable for her
and daughters. She was worried about safety
and privacy of her adolescent girls when they
made complaints about it.

8. Two years ago she built the latrine inside the house
after receiving the subsidy the from BRAC WASH
Programme.

9. “I have installed the latrine
inside my house, because I knew
that the intact water seal with
pan keeps the latrine free from
smell”.

10. “My daughters are
happy and also free
from any danger
they felt before. “

11. My adolescent girls are safe and I am not
worried about them when I go out for work for
the whole day.