Anu Paudyal Gautam, UNICEF Nepal Penn-UNICEF Advances in Social Norms Course June 2014

1. Confronting the Challenges of Open Defecation practices in Flat Lands of Nepal: A Social Norms Perspective Anu Paudyal Gautam, UNICEF Nepal Penn-UNICEF Advances in Social Norms Course June 2014

2. Where are we

3. Universal access target Additional performance required MDG target National Coverage (%) Source: MPPW

4. Sanitation-Universal Coverage and MDG Target Universal access target More Efforts Essential MDG target 53% 2017 2022

5. Key Sector Challenges H/Hs with Improved, Un-improved and OD Population served and unserved with Toilet facility

6. The attitude towards toilet is poor as people feel that having a television, radio and mobile is a status symbol. Latrine is not perceived as a prestige driver.

7. Social Norms Perspective Individuals perform this act to meet their needs Is Open Defecation a social norm issue The answer is no because Which are guided by unconditional preferences

8. Social Norms Diagnosis (I) Non-ODF communities ODF communities • Factual Beliefs • Open defecation is not harmful • Children feces is not harmful • Children get diarrhea when they are tootling • Latrine is expensive • No knowledge about diarrhea cause • Factual beliefs • People were eating their own shit and the shit of others • Shit is the main cause of diarrhea • It is a matter of shame and disgust • (Shame elicits expectation of what others think I do)

9. Exceptions (mostly in Terai) • Women feel shy while using the toilet thinking what other people might think. However, they don’t feel ashamed while doing it near a lake or a pond • A female hesitates to use the toilet being used by her father in law (mahisoor) and brother in law (bhaisoor). • 'How can we defecate over somebody else’s excreta? (haglay pay hagoo)', a common belief of people in community. • In Tarai while digging 4/5 feet for making the toilet hole, water seeps in and the hole gets filled very soon. So it’s a hassle/expensive to clean the pit • Peoples believe that defecation in the field is necessary for the fertility of the soil.

10. Social Norms Diagnosis (I) Non-ODF communities ODF communities • Personal normative beliefs • Latrine is more for women than men • Defecating in the open is good • I can save money for other things • Latrine construction is a waste of money • Latrine is government’s responsibility • Hurdle to wait in queue to use toilet especially in larger family • Feeling suffocated inside the toilet. • Personal normative beliefs • Latrine construction is my personal social responsibility • It is a matter of prestige and pride • Everbody in the family will use the toilet

11. Social Norms Diagnosis (II) Non-ODF communities ODF communities • EE • People expect that some will do OD and some will not do OD (positive deviance) • NE • People believe that everyone else think that I use a toilet should use (What I think others think I should do) • NE • Normally there is no normative expectation around open defecation practice • EE • People see that people around them have build toilets (What I think other do) • People do not see anyone doing open defecation in the open space

12. New Schema and Script Families maintain toilet Girls marry boys having toilet at home Keeping Surroundings clean and free from flies • Schema • An ideal family is one which owns and uses a toilet

13. Critical Evaluation of Past Works • 1980s –WATSAN decade – Sanitation as a weak add on to Water Supply projects • 1990s –Sanitation Policy 1994, Child to Child Approach 1997, Steering committee for National Sanitation action formed in 1998 • 2000s - Initiated School Sanitation and Hygiene Education program, School Led Total Sanitation program 2006, International Year of Sanitation and Global Hand Washing Day in 2008 • 2009 - Aligning for Action and Sanitation Social Movement in Nepal

14. Successes and Foundations of New Norm • Significant increase in the sanitation coverage (6% in 1999 to 62% in 2011) • Accelerated achievement of Open Defecation Free communities (Reference Network) • Enabling legislative provisions - National Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan, MAF for sanitation with UNICEF support (Harmonization of legal and social norms) • Sector harmonization and partnership (Everybody coming together) • Government leadership and community ownership • Institutional set up and arrangements (Organized Diffusion

15. Lessons • Subsidies didn't work (community emotions was not triggered) • Reversion to OD in some areas due to lack of water (extra social norm) • Use of coercion by the authorities to promote household toilet construction has been challenged

16. What Worked ? (I) • Information shared within the entire community about the negative consequences of OD for all • Collective change of factual beliefs and attitudes (elicit disgust through Triggering already lead to normative expectations and pride and prestige linking the behavior with social status) • Collective decision to enact change (coordinated action) • Realize social dilemma problem: “Norm creation“ • Spontaneous diffusion

17. What Worked (II) • Flagging (Green flag is hoisted to declare ODF – this already creates normative expectations and future conformity to the behavior • Public Declarations from highest political level (Enough people are seeing that enough people are changing which are the foundational capacity for reference network)

18. The New ProjectCelebrating Everyday Heroes A Comprehensive Communication for Development Strategy

19. EVERYDAY HEROES COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: AT A GLANCE • KEY BEHAVIOURAL RESULTS CROSS CUTTING DIMENSIONS Inclusion v Participation v Social Norms v Empowerment

20. Going Beyond CAP – Results of Formative Research from Dhanusha • Guardians should explain their children and others about the importance of using toilet. • Elder members should develop the habit of using toilet at all times so that the • Normative Expectations • Setting a community-wide rule for every households in the community to build and use toilets • Establishing a committee and levy a fine (‘jurmana’ and ‘kar’) or social punishment against those who defecate in the open.

21. Strategy Components • C4D • Strategy • Measuring Social Norms - Behavioral Monitoring Plan • Creative • Strategy • Costed Implementation plan

22. PR A Story-world IVR PSAs Social Media Multiple media entry points Radio A story-world: A shared universe where settings, characters, objects, events, actions of one or more narratives exist. A differentiated path to stories responsive to audience/platform Local FMs segments Web series Comm. Theater IPCC materials Comic strips

23. Network Analysis for Organized Diffusion Red - central node (Local Development Officer/Nominated Chairperson) Green – Village Head Yellow – High Degree nodes Mustard – Villages DWASH CCs DWASH CCs Universal access target Additional performance required MDG target National Coverage (%) DWASH CCs Source: MPPW

24. Sustainability

25. An Open Defecation Free Nepal Darchula Bajhang Bajura Mugu Dolpa Achham Mustang Dailekh Jajarkot Kailali Kaski Baglung Gorkha Bardiya Lamjung Parbat Rasuwa Pyuthan Banke Gulmi Syangja Dang Sindhupalchoke Nuwakot Dolakha Kathmandu Kapilbastu Solukhumbu Taplejung Rupandehi Bhaktapur Nawalparasi Kavre Chitawan Sankhuwasabha Lalitpur Ramechhap Parsa Bhojpur Panchthar Khotang Terhathum Rautahat Udayapur Dhankuta Mahotari Ilam Dhanusa Siraha Morang Humla Baitadi Jumla Kalikot Dadeldhura Doti Kanchanpur Rukum Manang Surkhet Myagdi Salyan Rolpa Tanahu Dhading Arghakanchi Palpa Makwanpur Okhaldhunga Sindhuli Bara Sarlahi Sunsari Jhapa Saptari Thank You!

26. Thank You