The Unspoken Saga of the Sanitation Problem of Indian Women

Many women in India don’t have access to toilets or proper washing facilities, especially in the rural areas. While the entire world will agree that this is a grave issue that must be dealt with immediately, Indian women continue to struggle due to the unavailability of this most basic necessity.

But, why is it so?

ShivaMaya volunteers have gone around interviewing women in several rural areas of West Bengal, asking this vital question and more often than not, the answer was the same- it was not up to them and the decision-makers in such families are usually their fathers or husbands who do not think this is an important issue at all. In fact, the men in these areas sometimes fail to see where the problem lies since most of these men seem to prefer defecating in the open, rather than behind closed doors using sanitary toilets.

Image Source Hindustan Times

According to the most current Swachhta Status Report, more than half of the rural population of the country still defecates in open. This is a very difficult problem with deep socio-cultural roots which cannot be easily eradicated. The Indian government wants to eliminate open defecation in India by 2019, but it’s going to be an uphill battle for everyone involved.

Open defecation can lead to severe health problems like diarrhea, worm infection, respiratory problems, malnutrition, and stunting. So, there is an urgent need to address this dilemma. Despite government efforts, there are several constraints like delays in toilet construction, inflated governmental data that hides the real situation, unavailability of proper information, as well as a general disinclination towards change in rural areas stemming from a variety of socio-cultural factors.

At ShivaMaya, one of our primary objectives is to assist rural people, especially women, in their efforts to achieve a minimum respectable hygiene and sanitation standard which can contribute towards fostering a healthy and happy life for them and our project Maya is making strides in that direction with our special programs aimed at solving this issue.