Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Nov - Dec Vol. 9 No.6 | Page 31

Sanitation
aspects of policy and programming. Otherwise, our work
can exacerbate vulnerabilities to violence.

Message from the UN Secretary-General on World
Toilet Day to be observed on 19 November
Calls for Stepped-Up Efforts on Equality, Dignity,
Safety of Women and Girls
One out of three women around
the world lack access to safe toilets.
As a result, they face disease,
shame and potential violence when
they seek a place to defecate. A
staggering 1.25 billion women and
girls would enjoy greater health
and increased safety with improved
sanitation. Evidence also shows
safe and clean toilets encourage
girls to stay in school.

UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon

We have a moral imperative to end
open defecation and a duty to ensure women and girls are
not at risk of assault and rape simply because they lack a
sanitation facility. That is why the theme for this year’s
World Toilet Day focuses on “Equality, Dignity and the
Link Between Gender-Based Violence and Sanitation”.

Addressing the sanitation challenge requires a global
partnership. This is especially crucial as countries work to
formulate a sustainable development agenda for the period
beyond the year 2015. Meeting the goal of sanitation for
all will involve targeted policies, increased financing and
comprehensive planning underpinned by strong political
will. Communities must be supported as they strive to
become open defecation-free. Advocacy efforts must step
up and taboos must be broken. These are the objectives
of the United Nations Call to Action on Sanitation
to mobilize global, national and community efforts to
improve hygiene, change social norms and eliminate open
defecation by 2025.
On World Toilet Day, let us spare no effort to bring
equality, dignity and safety to women and girls around the
world.

Typical Chinese public
toilet, no privacy at all

Sou-fujimoto-public-toiletin-ichihara-designboom

Master-bathroom

“I don’t have an
enclosed toilet.
My toilet is a hole
in the ground by
my house, which
is now full and
has become really
dangerous. I only
use it at night
Martine is 27 years old. She lives near a
when I can have
river in Cayimithe, Haiti
some privacy. In
the day time, I use
a community toilet which is about 15 minutes away from
my house.”

“I have always
defecated on the
ground. As a
woman, I know
this is a shameful
and undignified
thing to do, but
I had no choice.
It’s what we’ve all Rose, 28, has lived in Limonade (Haiti)
done for years. It
her whole life.
was really difficult
at night, especially
when it rained. I either used a bush or went in a bag. Last
year, an NGO supported us to build a community toilet
in Limonade. Now, I can use this during the day which
is great. However, at night I am not able to use the toilet
because it’s quite a distance from my house and I’m scared
to walk alone.”

Japanese Squat Toilet

Great Wall Life’s a Game

Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2014

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