Access to safe and dignified sanitation is a basic human right, yet gender disparities in sanitation continue to impact the health, education, safety, and dignity of millions around the world. Sanitation issues are not gender-neutral. Women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals often face unique challenges in accessing clean, safe, and private toilets, particularly in low-income or crisis-affected communities. These challenges are deeply intertwined with social norms, power dynamics, and policy gaps that require urgent attention through a human rights lens.
The Gendered Dimensions of Sanitation Access
Sanitation access affects everyone, but the experience of using sanitation facilities is fundamentally different for women and girls. Women often need access to facilities more frequently due to menstruation, pregnancy, and caregiving responsibilities. However, public sanitation systems are rarely designed with these realities in mind. For example, lack of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) resources—such as disposal bins, water, and privacy—can lead girls to miss school during their periods or feel shame and isolation.
Moreover, in many rural and urban slum areas, women and girls are forced to wait until nightfall to relieve themselves due to the absence of private toilets. This increases their exposure to health hazards and heightens the risk of sexual violence. These experiences are not only physically harmful but also degrade human dignity and limit full participation in society.
Sanitation and Education: The Impact on Girls
The intersection of gender, education, and sanitation is especially stark in schools. Inadequate toilet facilities in schools can lead to poor attendance, particularly among adolescent girls. Studies have shown that girls are more likely to skip school or drop out altogether if schools lack gender-segregated toilets or fail to provide for menstrual hygiene.
This creates a vicious cycle where girls who miss out on education face reduced opportunities later in life, reinforcing gender inequalitys. Ensuring access to adequate sanitation in schools is not just about health—it is about equal rights to education, opportunity, and development.
Sanitation, Safety, and Gender-Based Violence
A hidden but devastating consequence of inadequate sanitation is the heightened risk of gender-based violence (GBV). Women and girls without access to safe toilets—especially in refugee camps, informal settlements, and poorly lit urban areas—often face harassment, assault, or rape when traveling long distances to relieve themselves or bathe in open spaces.
This fear leads many to avoid using toilets at night or to drink less water during the day, which can result in dehydration, urinary tract infections, and other health problems. The threat of violence further restricts their freedom of movement and ability to live with dignity, compounding already existing gender inequalities. Recognizing this link is essential to developing safe and inclusive sanitation infrastructure.
Towards Gender-Inclusive Sanitation Policies
A rights-based approach to sanitation requires policymakers and stakeholders to recognize and address the specific needs of all genders. This includes consulting women and girls in the design and location of sanitation facilities, ensuring privacy and security, and integrating menstrual hygiene management into public health and education systems.
Legal frameworks must also reflect sanitation as a human right, ensuring accountability for governments and service providers. The United Nations has already acknowledged the human right to water and sanitation, but implementation at the national level often lacks gender sensitivity. Gender-inclusive sanitation planning must also consider transgender and non-binary individuals, who frequently face discrimination in accessing gendered public toilets.
Community involvement, education, and awareness-raising are equally important. When women and marginalized groups are empowered to participate in decision-making, solutions become more sustainable and equitable. Innovative programs—such as gender audits of public infrastructure or female-led sanitation committees—have proven effective in shifting power dynamics and fostering inclusive development.
Conclusion
