The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Gender Equality Measure: Conceptual Foundations and Domains of Change

This article describes and justifies the theory, concepts, and decisions that underlie a recently developed quantitative measure of gender equality in WASH — the water, sanitation, and hygiene gender equality measure (WASH-GEM) — and outlines key tensions navigated in its development. The WASH-GEM was developed through a collaborative, iterative process informed by a feminist perspective, critical review of relevant literature, pilot implementation, and partner engagement. In reflecting on the WASH-GEM design, this article contributes to a critical discourse on methodological challenges and imperatives in the measurement of complex social change.