“All we want are toilets inside our homes!”

Abstract

This paper describes how lack of access to adequate sanitation facilities affects the lives of adolescent girls in urban poor India. It draws specifically on the experiences of four adolescent girls, each living in one of four settlements in Bengaluru, India, and conversations with a larger group of girls. Findings reveal that where sanitation facilities are sorely lacking, adolescent girls face many deprivations (education, free time, privacy and independent mobility) and risks (sexual harassment and assault, health risks, etc.), and that this inadequacy can be a structural pathway for cyclical gender-based disempowerment and injustice.Keywords adolescents / gender / girls / India / informal settlements / sanitation / urban development / urban poor / water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) / youth I. InTroducTIonWhile urban sanitation is gaining ground, city governments are still faced with huge challenges when it comes to providing all their citizens with adequate sanitation facilities. The absence of services puts inhabitants at risk, and in particular women and children in urban poor families, who are most affected physically, psychologically, socially and economically. Many studies have highlighted the health and non-health impacts of sanitation on urban poor women, (1) but few have focused on the specific situation and needs of adolescent girls. This article describes the personal experiences of four girls, each living in one of four settlements in Bengaluru (earlier known as Bangalore) that are at various stages of the urban redevelopment trajectory. Their experience illustrates how lack of access to safe and wellmaintained sanitation facilities can contribute to many deprivations (education, free time, privacy, independent mobility) and risks (sexual harassment, assault and health risks), which can be a structural pathway for cyclical gender-based disempowerment and injustice. This paper draws from recent research conducted in the Indian cities of Mumbai and Bengaluru in collaboration with the Alliance, a partnership of three organizations (the National Slum Dwellers Federation, Mahila

Effect of household toilet accessibility on physical health of ethnic minority adolescents: a longitudinal study from the China Education Panel Survey 2013 and 2014

“…Our results are similar to those of previous studies that focused on the influences of family or school sanitary facilities on the health of adolescents in South Asia, South America, and Europe [ 5 – 10 ]. Although these conclusions are consistent, the toilet accessibilities in China’s ethnic minority areas cannot be improved instantaneously.…”

“…There is a wealth of research on the effects of toilet sanitation facilities on the health of adolescents worldwide, and many have found that toilet accessibility is closely linked to adolescents' health outcomes [5][6][7][8][9][10]. For instance, a case study from Bengaluru, India, revealed that adolescent girls who lack access to toilets have to use open defecation, which makes them prone to reproductive tract infections, urinary tract infections, and snake bites [5]. In addition, a study conducted in India using school-going adolescents as a sample group indicated that access to toilets could significantly reduce incidences of diarrheal [6].…”

Health and social impacts of open defecation on women: a systematic review

“…Privacy considerations, cultural norms or religious practices also bound many women to wait until dawn or dusk so they would not be seen while fulfilling their basic need of defecating [21]. A case study by Nallari [22] illustrates the experience of young girls who defecate in vacant area beside their poor settlement in Bengaluru, India. The participants expressed both the fear of being exposed while passing the slums and the struggle of finding privacy.…”

The Association between Anthropometric Failure and Toilet Types: A Cross-Sectional Study from India

“… 14 , 28 , 29 One study showed that accessing water for flushing and self-cleaning is difficult even when households own private toilets. 30 Users of household toilets built by the government in rural Bihar, India, cited poor quality as a deterrent to consistent use. 31 Users of both private and shared toilets in Odisha, India, reported inadequate access to water, unsafe conditions, and uncleanliness.…”