Sanitation work in South Asia is embedded within complex social, cultural, and economic structures shaped by caste, religion, and gender. Historically, the occupation has been relegated to communities stigmatised as “untouchable,” reinforcing purity–pollution hierarchies and sustaining generational occupational segregation. Religious identity often compounds this marginalisation, with minority faith groups facing additional discrimination in access to employment, social services, and legal protections. Gender further intensifies inequities, as women and gender-diverse sanitation workers encounter wage gaps, unsafe working conditions, and heightened vulnerability to harassment and health risks. Rapid urbanisation and large-scale sanitation missions such as Swachh Bharat and Jal Jeevan have improved infrastructure but failed to dismantle structural barriers or ensure dignified, safe livelihoods. This research seeks to explore these intersections, bringing visibility to lived experiences, exposing policy-practice gaps, amplifying worker-led resistance and innovations that challenge systemic exclusion, and advocating for active and widespread involvement in the fight for sanitation justice in the South Asian conte

The core problem this Research Topic seeks to address is the persistent structural marginalisation of sanitation workers in South Asia, shaped by the intersecting forces of caste, religion, and gender. Despite constitutional safeguards and international commitments to decent work and human rights (ILO, 2019; UN-Habitat, 2020), sanitation labour remains informal, hazardous, and socially stigmatised. Caste-based occupational segregation continues to limit mobility (Gidwani & Reddy, 2011), while religious identity can exacerbate exclusion from state welfare schemes (Mehentar, C. C., 2020). Women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming sanitation workers face compounded vulnerabilities, including unsafe workplaces, unequal pay, and a lack of maternity or social protection benefits (O’Reilly, 2010). Existing WASH initiatives, such as Swachh Bharat, have prioritised infrastructure over labour rights, failing to dismantle discriminatory norms or ensure technological innovations reach workers equitably. This Research Topic, with its interdisciplinary approach, aims to generate rights-based scholarship and practice-oriented recommendations to inform policies that advance sanitation justice by addressing the socio-political roots of exclusion.

Scope of Special Issues:

• Contextualise sanitation work within caste-based occupational segregation and purity–pollution norms.

• Expose how religious identity and gender deepen social exclusion and labour division.

• Analyse the limits of policy frameworks (e.g., Swachh Bharat, Jal Jeevan, WASH missions) in confronting structural violence.

• Showcase the invaluable grassroots narratives and resistance by sanitation workers, which are often overlooked. These narratives provide a unique perspective and are crucial in understanding the challenges and solutions in the sanitation sector. Bridge critical scholarship with WASH practice, nudging it toward social justice.

Themes

• Occupation & Social Identity: Caste-religion hierarchies in job allocation

• Gendered Labour: This will offer a unique perspective on the experiences of women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming sanitation workers, shedding light on their often-overlooked contributions.

• Health & Risk: Urgent attention is needed to address the occupational hazards, mental health, and policy gaps in sanitation work, making this theme particularly pressing.

• Policy–Practice Interface: Analysis of state policy failures and WASH reforms

• Resistance & Agency: Worker-led activism, welfare programs, and technological innovations (e.g., mechanised manhole cleaning)

We welcome a wide range of manuscript types that engage with the intersections of religion, gender, and caste among sanitation workers in South Asia, including your preferred format:

• Original Research Articles – Empirical studies (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods) that examine lived experiences, policy impacts, occupational health, and social dynamics in sanitation work.

• Review Articles – Comprehensive analyses of existing literature on caste, religion, gender, and sanitation labour, highlighting conceptual advances, policy gaps, and future research directions.

• Policy Analyses – Critical examinations of WASH policies, labour laws, and social welfare programs, assessing their effectiveness and proposing reforms.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Intersections of Religion, Gender, and Caste among Sanitation Workers in South Asia

Topic Coordinator