People often talk about gender equality, emphasising the need for societies to provide equal opportunities to individuals of all genders in various aspects of life. However, despite our efforts towards achieving this equality, in many low- and middle-income countries, access to adequate sanitary facilities for women is often limited and receives insufficient attention.

An estimated one-third of the women globally do not have access to a toilet and have to spend long hours waiting to avail the facility. 40% of the women in Bangladesh do not have access to private toilets in their residences. They tend to stand in line more than males since they are reluctant to respond to the call of nature in public. They endure a considerable burden as a result of poor sanitation facilities.

Working women in Dhaka spend about 12 to 16 hours every day outside and most of the public toilets in this city are not suitable for women. Most of them do not provide any tissues or soap. In some areas, windows, doors, water taps, and commodes are damaged. Due to a dearth of sanitation services, women and girls tend to restrain their bladders.

Not only that, women often avoid eating particular food items or drinking enough water thinking that it might increase their abdominal pressure while traveling. They are hesitant to inform anyone that they need to use the toilet. In most cases, they hold it and try to hurry back home. 80 per cent of them refrain from drinking or they drink fluids in less quantity due to a scarcity of safe, functional public restrooms.

Though different studies show women take twice as long as men to use the restroom, most of the public toilets fail to suit women’s specific needs, creating unsanitary and unpleasant situations for women.

Although poor sanitation facilities may affect anybody’s well-being— whether the person is a male or female, its impact on women is particularly different. The lack of basic sanitation facilities can create major health issues for women such as urinary tract infections, hepatitis B, higher stress levels, etc. Besides, the scarcity of toilets may reduce their productivity.

Meanwhile, more than 300 million women menstruate every day throughout the world. Approximately 500 million women and girls do not have access to menstruation goods or suitable facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Women and girls in rural Bangladesh still use fabrics during their periods, and due to limited sanitary facilities and prejudice, they are even unable to wash and dry their napkins properly. These can lead to vaginal infections and other diseases.

Several studies argue that poor sanitary facilities have a severe influence on girls' school experiences. In countries with low incomes, 50% of schools lack basic sanitation, hygiene, and water facilities, which are required to help girls and female teachers manage menstruation (UNICEF 2015). Research conducted in Kenya discovered that 95 per cent of girls who are menstruating missed school for one to three days. According to a 2018 UNICEF survey, one out of every five girls in Bangladesh misses school during their period owing to a lack of access to sanitary products or facilities for menstruation.

In the meantime, it is disappointing that many workplaces in our country still lack separate toilets for women’s needs, particularly government offices. Working women seem to avoid using restrooms during their periods since there are not enough facilities to meet their specific needs at their offices. Many institutions that employ female workers lack a hygiene department, trash can, or pad vending machine. This inadequate sanitation can make it difficult for women to maintain proper menstrual hygiene, increasing their discomfort and making it difficult for them to carry out their jobs effectively.

A lack of adequate sanitary facilities might potentially jeopardise women’s safety. In many areas, women are compelled to use open spaces or other outdoor settings as temporary toilets, making them susceptible to sexual harassment and attacks. This is particularly true for women who must go out on their own at night to use toilets, possibly placing themselves in danger. Recent studies demonstrate that in families with common toilets, women and girls are more likely to feel insecure going alone in the dark and experience sexual harassment and safety issues.

Thus, poor sanitation troubles women’s social and economic lives, affecting their education, health, safety, and well-being. Hence, we have to realise that a public toilet is more than just a toilet; it even involves a gender issue. So, the concept of gender equality must be reflected in the sanitation improvement process. Women’s viewpoints and experiences must be given high importance in case of establishment of sanitation policies and initiatives.

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The writer is a development worker