Background on World Toilet Day
TODAY is World Toilet Day and
although it may sound like a comical issue, it brings to light a serious global
problem and a luxury many of us take for granted.
Around one billion people in the world face the
everyday indignity of defecating in open spaces and the associated diarrhea
diseases kill more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.
World Toilet Organization (WTO) was founded on 19 November 2001. To commemorate
its founding day, the organization declared 19 November as World Toilet Day. On
the same day, WTO held the inaugural World Toilet Summit in Singapore. At that
time, the word “toilet” was considered a taboo and the sanitation crisis was
largely ignored by the media. In the humanitarian sector, the subject of water
and sanitation was bundled into one agenda called WatSan. This resulted in
sanitation being overshadowed by the more prominent agenda of water, hence
sanitation remained neglected while the area of water (which is equally
important) was considered to be deserving of more attention and action.Why Toilets?
A world body on toilets — are you kidding me? Your toilet is more important than you think. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about the sanitation crisis. A clean and safe toilet ensures health, dignity and well-being — yet 40% of the world’s population does not have access to toilets.
Ten Things You Can Do for UN World Toilet Day
If you’re reading this and you have
a toilet, you are luckier than the 2.5 billion people on this planet who lack
access to improved sanitation. More than 1 billion people still face the
indignity of defecating in the open, and women and girls are being assaulted
while going to the toilet.
Every year on 19 November, World
Toilet Day is a chance to get involved in the global movement for toilets
and sanitation for all, and raise awareness of the need for action to end the
sanitation crisis. In 2013, 19 November was designated as UN World Toilet Day. The theme
for this year’s World Toilet Day is dignity and equality, inspiring action to
end open defecation and putting a
spotlight on how access to improved sanitation leads to a reduction in assault
and violence on women.
Sustainable sanitation is a matter
of dignity, equality, and safety, and is crucial to improving the health and
wellbeing of one-third of humanity. What can you do to help make ‘sanitation
for all’ a reality this World Toilet Day?
1. Run in The ‘Urgent Run’
Participate in The Urgent Run or host your own event
for this year’s UN World Toilet Day. The Urgent Run (www.urgentrun.com) is a global
mobilisation event to draw attention to the urgent calls for action to end the
sanitation crisis. Sixteen events have been registered in 12 countries including
Singapore, India,
the Philippines, Indonesia, Ghana, Italy, Senegal, and Mozambique. If you can’t
wait to see health, dignity and wellbeing for all through sustainable
sanitation, join The Urgent Run, or hold an event.
2. Do a ‘Big Squat’
Hold a big squat and raise awareness
of the more than 1 billion people who face the indignity of open defecation,
which spreads diseases including cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and diarrhoea.
Stop, drop, squat and share! Get friends, colleagues, classmates or family
together, invite people in the local community and squat in a public place.
Take photos or video, and share them on YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, Instagram,
Flickr, Facebook or Twitter. Use the hashtags #bigsquat, #worldtoiletday and
#opendefecation.
3. Share
Access to sanitation would make life
safer and healthier for 1.25 billion women. Join the global movement for
toilets and sanitation for all, and raise awareness by posting on Facebook,
Instagram, Google+, posting a Vine or Tweeting this World Toilet Day. Show that
you give a crap about toilets and sanitation, and raise your voice to call for
action. Use the hashtags #wecantwait #worldtoiletday #opendefecation
#sanitation and #igiveashit.
4. Become a toilet advocate
Clean and safe toilets are
fundamental for health, dignity, privacy, equality and education. Contact your
local representative, community leader or member of parliament and let them
know you care about public toilets in your area. Does your town need new public
toilets? Are the toilets safe and accessible, clean and well-maintained? Is
there an appropriate ratio of toilets for men and women, or ‘potty parity’?
Talk toilets with your local representative today.
5. Watch
Watch a World
Toilet Day playlist and share videos on Facebook or Twitter to join the
call for toilets and sanitation for all. Here’s one to start with – meet
Mr Toilet. Jack Sim is a man on a mission to end the sanitation crisis,
and he started by tackling the toilet taboo. Meet the man behind the World Toilet
Organization who is proud to be called ‘Mr. Toilet’.
6. Talk crap!
1,000 children died per day from
diarrhoeal diseases due to poor sanitation in 2013. These deaths are
preventable, but what we don’t discuss, we can’t improve. Help break the
‘toilet taboo’ by talking crap with friends and family, colleagues, classmates
or neighbours: have a conversation, send an email, send a text, post to
Facebook, and raise awareness of the importance of action on sanitation.
7. Toilet Selfie
Did you know that more people own a
mobile phone than have access to a toilet? Next time you go to the bathroom,
think about how lucky you are, and snap a #toiletselfie and post it to
Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for World Toilet Day – and keep it clean! Let
your friends know they’re lucky if they have access to a toilet and encourage
them to join the sanitation movement.
8. Invest in toilets and sanitation
for all
One third of the world’s population
still lacks access to adequate sanitation. Donate to support the work of the
World Toilet Organization at worldtoilet.org
and your donation will go towards advocacy and awareness, and to support
capacity building and social enterprise sanitation projects in Cambodia, India,
and Mozambique.
9. Learn
Did you know that toilets and
sanitation are considered a human right? In 2010, the UN General Assembly
recognised sanitation and water as a human right, essential to the full
enjoyment of life and all other human rights. Visit World Toilet Organization’s
website worldtoilet.org and the UN
World Toilet Day website unwater.org/worldtoiletday
to learn about the sanitation crisis and how you can get involved.
10. Tell us what you’re doing
How will you commemorate UN World
Toilet Day on 19 November? Join the call for action to end the sanitation
crisis on UN World Toilet Day, and share what you’re doing. Reply to @worldtoilet and @UN_Water on Twitter or email
online@worldtoilet.org. Some of the best activities will be featured on the
World Toilet Day website and in World Toilet Organization’s social media.
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