Includes Appendices and References

ABSTACT
The Sustainable Development Goals agenda 6 emphasizes on sanitation access alongside
gender equality as a transformative strategy to improved sanitation. However, with the
serious health consequences of poor sanitation, it is essential to understand the gender
related factors associated with ability to access, utilize and maintain shared sanitation
facilities in slums. This study aimed at examining the influence of gender in toilet access,
use and maintenance on performance of shared sanitation facilities in Nanyuki slums. A
convergent research design was used and a sample of 98 participants calculated using
Yamane’s formula. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaires from
household heads who were selected using cluster and simple random sampling techniques.
The number of household heads per cluster was determined using proportionate-to-size
formula. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
version 26 in descriptive and inferential statistics to unveil relationship between variables.
Qualitative data was collected using focus group discussion guides from a purposively
selected group. The data was analyzed using the MAXQDA software in themes and
presented in a narrative way. Findings revealed that females were the most users of toilets
compared to men (adjusted OR=1.14, 95% CI: 0.05-1.92, P=0.009<0.05) because they were
left at their households due to commitments of carrying out household chores when men
could use toilets in their places of work. Toilets were 0.76 times less acceptable and 0.75
less preferable for females than for males. Toilet location far from households, use of toilets
at night for females, access to toilets with gapped super structures, unsafe and contaminated
toilets significantly reduced the odds of toilet use (P<0.05). Adequacy of toilets (adjusted
OR 4.95, 95% CI: 0.98-4.40, p= 0.032<0.05), and ability to meet user needs (adjusted OR
5.73, 95% CI: 0.70-4.15, p= <0.001) increased the chances of use of shared toilets. The odds
for preference of toilets significantly increased by 4.95 and 2.09 when toilets adequately
addressed user needs and when they were separated by gender respectively (p<0.05). The
odds of preference to toilets whose pit content depth was less than 1 meter was 15% lower
than when pit contents were lower. In toilets where women took cleaning roles, the chances
of hygiene increased by 1.83 compared to when men took the roles. Unavailability of toilet
cleaning materials seemed to have a negative impact on the hygiene of shared toilets
(adjusted OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.10-2.96, p= 0.003<0.05). The study concluded that sanitation
was among the critical issues that affected slum dwellers and its impact was disproportional
to gender. The study recommended the need for provision of gender segregated data in
sanitation service delivery, strengthening the role of women, need for advocacy, community
cohesion and gender mainstreaming in sanitation policies to promote gender-responsive
sanitation facilities in slums