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Moving along the right track? The experience of developing a rights-based approach at WaterAid
01.10.2014
This paper describes the process of developing WaterAid's organizational awareness and capacity to reach the most marginalized people with WASH through a gradual shift from a focus on service delivery towards a rights-based approach. It gives an account of specific programmes designed to develop a greater understanding of the benefits and challenges of using rights as a framework, and explores internal and external factors that have helped WaterAid move towards a rights-based approach, factors that hinder this, and the continuing challenges of working as an INGO within a rights framework. The paper concludes that rights-based approaches offer effective ways to increase community demand for WASH and the accountability of duty bearers, and can help to increase sustainable access to WASH for the most marginalized groups. In building on these skills and experiences WaterAid needs to be clear about its roles and responsibilities in the realization of human rights to water and sanitation.