This issue of Frontiers of Sanitation 'Engaging men and boys for gendertransformative WASH Part 2' explores the extent to which engaging men and boys in WASH processes is leading to transformative change in gender roles, attitudes, and sustainable change in reducing gender inequalities across households, communities, organisations, and policy.

This document is an update to Frontiers Part 1 produced in 2018. In Part 1, the differing roles of men and boys were reviewed in terms of objects to change (i.e. to change sanitation or hygiene behaviours), agents of change (in promoting improved practices), and partners for change in gender-transformative WASH processes. This update reviews progress on engaging men and boys in WASH programming and provides practical examples of the opportunities and challenges with this endeavour. It also includes recommendations for those thinking about why and how to include engaging men and boys as part of their WASH programmes. This edition of Frontiers of Sanitation takes a relational perspective, integrating approaches to engage men and boys with efforts to empower women and girls. It also applies an intersectional lens to understand the complexities of men’s and boys’ lives, recognising that some men have more power than others as a result of their intersecting identities and/or different social inequalities. The edition explores how engaging men and boys can create opportunities to raise awareness of other inequalities and elicit the support of men and boys in addressing them. Thus, the scope of this Frontiers of Sanitation encompasses gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) including attention to gender-based violence and the inclusion of people with a disability and people in sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities.

This edition is based on an assessment of literature, expert opinion, and programmatic experience of working with men and boys. It aims to improve how WASH actors engage men and boys to shift gendered social norms. It could also be used by those involved in specialist work with men and boys to gain new ideas on how to apply that knowledge to the WASH sector and help develop their practice further.

Longer versions of the practice examples referred to here can be found in the accompanying document.