Obviously, sanitation development in the framework of the Netherlands International Development needs to be seen in the overall development: there are many crucial players and onsite sanitation projects that set the standards. For a long time the WHO Monograph of Wagner and Lanoix was the only book available on the topic. important players are amongst others LSTHM (with the Ross Institute), IRCO, Oxfam and the University of Dundee. In the Netherlands, Wouter van Dieren, member of the Club of Rome was a source of inspiration.
The International Reference Centre (IRC), initially known as the WHO International Reference Centre on Community Water Supply, began focused mainly on water supply. its engagement with sanitation issues developed gradually throughout the subsequent decades. In the mid-to-late 1980s, IRC introduced a focus on gender issues within the water, hygiene, and sanitation sectors. Publications like "Participation of Women in Water Supply and Sanitation: Roles and Realities" (published in 1985 by Christine van Wijk-Sijbesma) highlights IRC’s expanding attention to inclusive approaches in sanitation.