The country has witnessed an incredible momentum in increasing access to sanitation facilities across the nation. While there has been quite a significant physical progress, yet there is a concern about inadequate attention towards inclusive and equitable approaches to benefit the most marginalized communities living in cities. There is a growing realization that sanitation services in cities need to focus on inclusiveness and equity in order to create an enabling environment for all.

The Inclusive City Framework provides a comprehensive structure to define an inclusive city, and the Checklist provides parameters for decision makers to maintain accessible, affordable and inclusive sanitation infrastructure, participative decision making and inclusive financing for cities. The recommendations from the framework and checklist were incorporated in SBM(U) Gender Responsive Guidelines.