WASH at work: exploring the opportunity for employers to trigger sanitation demand amongst salaried workers

Abstract

This study employs a participatory action research approach in order to develop potential strategies that are aimed at stimulating and accelerating demand amongst salaried workers who are an often neglected segment of the sanitation “non-adopter” population. Few researchers to date have questioned why “Middle of the Pyramid” consumers with a regular monthly income (4to4 to 50 per day) are not investing in sanitation as a priority. This paper seeks to understand how establishing a sanitation marketing activity at such a consumer’s place of work can be utilised as a point of sale to increase sanitation adoption. Critical findings from the study indicate that worksite sanitation marketing interventions are an effective tool to “trigger” salaried workers to move from non-adopters to adopters of sanitation at a household level. The research uncovers a clear opportunity for employers to establish enabling environments unblocking constraints to sanitation adoption, for example, by offering flexible payment plans

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