Toilets for Women in India, Need of the Hour
(This blogpost is for a social cause.) The statistics are alarming for the number of toilets for women in India: Of the 1.27 billion people in India 597 million people defecate in open!
The reasons are many: No proper sanitation facilities, blind superstitious beliefs of not having toilets inside house, shortage of water. Men go about their daily routine with no concerns as if toilets hardly mattered, it is the women who bear the brunt of this severely.
When you and I are having sound sleep in the comforts of our beds, there is some Babli (imaginary name for a girl), women in rural parts of India are trying to finish off the call before day break. Some of them fall prey to anti social elements. The danger of sexual assault always lurking in their minds. Women control their urge (I can’t comprehend how one can hold for 13hrs!) which gives rise to severe health issues.
At places with few toilets there are long queues and sewerage problems, which give rise to health issues. Those in slums live in pathetic conditions. There is no privacy. Women get commented on, stared at making the trip to toilet most uncomfortable. Girls wait when the crowd around these public urinals would thin down, but how long and Oh! How painful!
In cities like Mumbai and Delhi the condition is same. It is such a contrast to observe in the early morning hours when there are men well dressed traveling in trains to offices there are many who use these same rail tracks to relieve themselves. This is in broad daylight, because they are men! The children fall prey to diseases like diarrhea, yet they have no options but to expose to such unhygienic conditions because of lack of basic sanitation facilities.
Girls refuse to go schools as they lack proper sanitation facilities for them. Many schools have shared toilet system for the students which make the grown up girls hesitant to attend classes. Threatening to close down schools not providing this basic facility to girls is no solution. What has been ignored for so long has to be taken up on priority basis. Financial assistance to these small time government schools is the need of the hour.
toilets for women India Image from: Urban Times
Toilets for Women in India
Awareness is slowly setting in. Girls are not married into families that do not have toilets. “No Toilet, No Bride!” Public sector Units and Corporate offices are being roped in to build toilets for girls in schools.
Domex, the leading toilet cleaner brand of Hindustan Unilever Limited too is contributing to this social cause. They launched the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA) in November 2013. Their motto: “to build 24,000 toilets by 2015 in areas faced with the problem of open defecation and where people do not have access to improved sanitation.”
The Domex Toilet Academy is targeting to educate people on the importance of hygienic sanitation. They intend to help them in getting access to improved sanitation creating a network of local entrepreneurs to sell and build clean toilets for women in India. They believe this initiative will create a positive impact on the health and well-being of the community whilst stimulating the local economy.
The DTA is also providing business skills and training to local entrepreneurs and masons. They are urging them to supply toilets to their local communities thus providing jobs while at the same time promoting the importance of safe and hygienic sanitation practices in local communities.
Read related post – Disappearance of hand written letters.
Something many of us take for granted. I have three in my home.
Rural and Urban India united by a common problem. Why do we always lack in the basic amenities?
Excellent article highlighted the issue which is very high in rural areas. Few of my relatives in village built grand houses but left the toilets away from their homes. People needs more awareness esp. in rural and cities needs clean toilets.
I am so glad to see this issue being addressed. I have read, sadly, the case of one rape and murder in a rural village where the young woman had to go out in a field to relieve herself. I know that Prime Minister Modi has pledged to have toilet facilities for women constructed and it is good to hear that this company, Domex, is contributing.
Your article is very timely and will,
hopefully, increase public awareness and support.
OH MY! This situation is so bad for so many women and girls!
Super stuff, hats off to you all.
Great write up Indrani ! I strongly support the cause and glad there are others too 🙂
How troubling for the many women who have to resort to this. I hope that this project takes off well.. and quickly.
Great action! Very important too!
I wish you lots of success!
Wil, ABCW team
I'm going to click.
Hard to imagine!! These are easy to find anywhere here and in Europe, as I'm sure you know. I hope this helps bring about a much needed change.
Great initiative! Just hope these toilets are actually made and that they are maintained.