20 December 2018: The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), WaterAid, and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) have jointly published a guide to help local authorities and other service providers plan and build toilets that meet the needs of women and girls. The guide draws on experiences and knowledge from around the world on matters such as privacy, safety and facilities for managing menstrual hygiene and baby care, also providing information on meeting the needs of older adults and persons with disabilities.

The agencies note that women and girls suffer disproportionately from inadequate sanitation, as their specific needs are often overlooked by planners. They further note that public or community toilets may be the only sanitation option for people living in informal settlements. The 54-page guide, made up of three main sections, explains: why public and community toilets are needed and why they must be female-friendly; what are the essential and desirable features of female-friendly toilets; and how to build gender sensitivity into a city-wide needs assessment with regard to toilets.

The agencies emphasize that the UN has recognized the rights to water and sanitation as human rights since 2010, and that governments have a responsibility to provide universal access to sanitation. They state that toilets should be “sufficient in number” as well as physically accessible, safe, affordable, and designed for everyone to use. SDG target 6.2 commits to achieving access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

Leading up to the release of the guide, on 30 October the agencies convened a virtual conference on Menstrual Hygiene Management in schools. [Publication: Female-friendly Public and Community Toilets: a Guide for Planners and Decision Makers] [UN-Water News Release]