A decent toilet
Toilets can change your life. But 1.5 billion people – almost one in five – do not have a decent toilet of their own. Not having access to a decent toilet – at home, at school, in a clinic – is dangerous. In many ways.
It means that deadly diseases such as diarrhea and cholera can spread quickly. It means people have no choice but to go outside to relieve themselves, which is especially unsafe for women and children.
And it means that people often stop going to school or work when they are sick or on their period, leaving them with fewer opportunities to get an education or earn a living.
It's hard to concentrate on learning when the school toilets are dirty, broken or simply non-existent. For girls, the challenges become even greater when they get their period. Without decent toilets or running water at school, many girls stay home for up to a week every month, falling further behind.
Facts
Almost 1 in 5 people in the world don't have a decent toilet of their own
354 million people in the world have no choice but to defecate in the open
220 million children attend schools without toilets
How does WaterAid work on decent toilets for everyone?
- WaterAid is committed to realizing the right to safe, decent toilets. We do this by making plans with communities, setting priorities together and mobilizing resources to realize facilities.
- WaterAid works with communities to design low-cost, sustainable toilet solutions and is committed to good policy and institutional change to ensure continued access.
- We ensure that toilets are accessible to everyone and involve people with disabilities in the design and management of facilities.
- We ensure that public and communal toilets are safe, clean, affordable and women-friendly.
Projects
WASH Learn & Share
More than half of all schools in Uganda lack adequate toilet and water facilities. For girls in particular, this means they regularly miss school. With the WASH, Learn & Share project, we are working to improve health, education and well-being for all.
Water Justice Fund - grassroot grants to the water crisis
Millions of women and girls are hit hard by the water and sanitation problems caused by climate change. The Water Justice Fund supports local women groups in Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ghana, Timor-Leste and Indonesia to realise locally-led and women-owned solutions to water and climate challenges.
Sarwacha
WaterAid Nederland and Dopper are working with local partners, ENPHO and Biruwa, to ensure a sustainable water supply for Changunarayan. Families in the fast-growing municipality Changunarayan in Nepal lack safe drinking water.
