Today, on the 19th of November, it is World Toilet Day. You don’t give a shit? Well, of the world’s seven billion people, 2.5 billion people do not have improved sanitation. 1 billion people still defecate in the open. Women and girls risk rape and abuse because they have no toilet that offers privacy. We cannot accept this situation. The Global Young Greens are joining the action day and post different photo’s from different toilets around the world, that have been sent by our members
Equality and dignity is the theme of World Toilet Day 2014. The UN campaign will inspire action to end open defecation and put spotlight on how access to improved sanitation leads to a reduction in assault and violence on women and girls. Where toilets do exist, additional inequalities present in usability. Toilets generally remain inadequate for populations with special needs, such as the disabled and elderly, and women and girls requiring facilities to manage menstrual hygiene. Without accessible toilets for these populations, they remain excluded from opportunities to attend school and gain employment.
For those who have a toilet, toilets are also the cause of massive waste of water and big pollution. The world, in fact, flushes up to 20 percent of its drinking water down various drains. We need more sustainable alternatives to the otherwise wasteful classic water closet.