World Toilet Day, celebrated annually on November 19, highlights the global sanitation crisis and aims to inspire action toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The 2024 theme, “Sanitation for Peace,” underscores the critical role of toilets in fostering health, dignity, gender equality, and environmental stability, especially in educational settings.
The Role of Sanitation in Schools
Toilets and proper Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities are essential for creating safe and inclusive learning environments for both girls and boys. They directly impact health, attendance, and gender equity in schools, supporting not only SDG 6 but also broader goals such as gender equality and climate resilience.
Good Toilets and Gender Equality in Schools
Privacy and Dignity for Girls
Many girls miss school during menstruation due to a lack of private and hygienic toilets. Providing adequate facilities supports menstrual hygiene management (MHM), enabling girls to attend school confidently and consistently. This aligns with SDG Target 6.2, which calls for equitable sanitation with a focus on women, girls, and vulnerable populations.
Health Benefits for All
Poor sanitation exposes students to diseases like diarrhea and cholera, leading to absenteeism and reduced academic performance. Clean, well-maintained toilets promote health, ensuring students are present and focused. Achieving SDG Target 6.1 (universal access to safe water) further reinforces health and productivity in schools.
Empowering Gender Equity
Access to proper toilets reduces stigma and empowers girls to participate fully in school life. Inclusive sanitation facilities also support boys and students with disabilities, promoting equity and respect for all.
Sanitation for Health and Climate Action
Reducing Disease Transmission
Toilets act as barriers between humans and waste, protecting public health. When sanitation systems are disrupted—whether by conflict, disasters, or climate change—diseases like cholera spread rapidly. Schools and governments must prioritize resilient sanitation systems to safeguard health and learning.
Addressing Water Scarcity
With rising global temperatures exacerbating water scarcity, sustainable water use is essential. Schools should integrate water-efficient technologies and rainwater harvesting to ensure consistent water availability for sanitation, supporting SDG Target 6.4.
Climate Stability Through WASH
Clean water and sanitation mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events, reducing community vulnerability. Protecting water-related ecosystems like wetlands and rivers, as outlined in SDG Target 6.6, enhances climate resilience while ensuring sustained access to essential resources.
Sanitation for Peace in Schools
Toilets symbolize peace and safety. In conflict- or disaster-affected regions, secure sanitation facilities in schools provide children with a sense of stability. When students feel safe, their capacity to learn and thrive improves, fostering harmony and progress.
Peaceful and stable environments also encourage governments and communities to invest in sanitation infrastructure. Such investments bolster educational equity, enabling schools to provide inclusive, accessible, and dignified spaces for all students.
Actions Needed to Achieve SDG 6 in Education
1. Infrastructure Investment
Governments and donors must prioritize the construction and maintenance of separate and private toilets for boys and girls in schools. This includes accessible designs for students with disabilities.
2. Community Participation
Strengthening local communities’ roles in WASH management, as per SDG Target 6.B, fosters ownership and sustainability of sanitation facilities.
3. International Cooperation
Expanding capacity-building and support for sanitation-related programs, especially in vulnerable regions, ensures progress toward universal WASH access, supporting SDG Target 6.A.
The Way Forward: Aligning Sanitation Efforts with Global Goals
Integrating WASH in Education Policies
Governments and educational bodies should embed WASH provisions into school infrastructure policies, making them non-negotiable. Beyond construction, maintenance must be prioritized to ensure facilities remain functional and safe.
Promoting Hygiene Education
Hygiene education should be part of school curricula to instill lifelong habits. Topics like handwashing, menstrual health management (MHM), and water conservation can empower students to lead healthier lives and advocate for better hygiene practices in their communities.
Leveraging Technology for Monitoring and Maintenance
Digital tools can monitor WASH facilities’ status in schools, ensuring accountability and timely repairs. Technologies like water-saving devices and eco-friendly toilets can also address sustainability challenges.
Private Sector Partnerships
Collaborations with the private sector can bring innovation, funding, and expertise to sanitation projects. Businesses can support schools through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, providing essential resources such as soap, sanitary pads, or water filtration systems.
Encouraging Behavioral Change Campaigns
Campaigns targeting communities can address cultural taboos around menstruation, open defecation, and sanitation. Such initiatives must involve women and girls as central voices, ensuring their specific needs are met.
World Toilet Day: A Call to Action
As we reflect on the 2024 theme, “Sanitation for Peace,” it is clear that global progress depends on collective action. Every child deserves access to clean, safe, and dignified toilet facilities. By addressing sanitation gaps in schools, we ensure that education becomes a tool for breaking cycles of inequality and building a peaceful, equitable future.
Let World Toilet Day inspire not just conversation but tangible action—because the path to a fairer world begins with something as fundamental as a toilet. Together, we can flush away inequity and unlock potential for every student, everywhere.
