Sarah Dickin

Sarah Dickin is a University Lecturer at the Department of Women's and Children's Health and a Researcher at the Institute for Research on Conflicts of Goals in Sustainable Social Transition at Uppsala University. Her interdisciplinary work spans public health, gender studies, and environmental sustainability, with a focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in low- and middle-income countries.

Research Interests:

Dickin’s research centers on the intersection of health, environment, and social equity. She investigates how sanitation systems can be designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, how gender-transformative WASH interventions can empower marginalized communities, and how knowledge co-production with sanitation workers can improve menstrual waste management in informal settlements.

Her recent work also explores the One Health approach to WASH, integrating human, animal, and environmental health to prevent zoonotic diseases. She has contributed to gender-inclusive toolkits for water insecurity research and conducted systematic reviews on social inclusion in WASH programs.

Scientific Contributions:

• Lead author on high-impact publications addressing menstrual waste, greenhouse gas emissions from sanitation, and gendered water insecurity.
• Developed frameworks for measuring empowerment in WASH and evaluating conditional cash transfer programs for maternal health.
• Collaborated on global policy briefs and toolkits for sustainable sanitation and climate resilience.

Collaborations and Impact:

Dickin actively collaborates with international partners across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, engaging in knowledge co-production with local communities, NGOs, and policymakers. Her work has informed national WASH strategies and contributed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).