Education for girls in India depends on a multitude of factors. Factors like safety, transportation, social stigmas and perceptions all play a role in determining whether or not a girl gets educated. Aside from having schools that are accessible to girls, specific challenges that girls face while receiving an education need to be addressed. One such factor is the existence of WASH in educational spaces.
What Is WASH?
WASH, or Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. WASH functions on the principle that every child has a right to safe and clean water, toilets, hygiene practices, and a sanitary environment. Without them, children are more vulnerable to diseases, which detriments not only their health but also their overall development.
Do Better WASH Facilities Influence Girls’ Education?
A lack of WASH in educational spaces directly impacts if a girl will attend school or college. It has been well documented that many girls, especially in rural areas, do not have access to schools with washrooms or drinking water.
In March, education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that more than 15,000 government schools do not have toilets, and more than 42,000 do not have access to drinking water. Studies have also shown that even in schools, many are unusable, locked, or had no separate facilities for girls. Further, a 2020 CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report found that 55% of government schools did not have basic hand-washing facilities.
Due to this, girls routinely drop out of school. A 2015 report by Dasra says that 23% of girls drop out of school after reaching puberty because of inadequate sanitation, water, or toilets. WASH in women’s education requires an understanding of how it impacts different aspects of girls’ lives, thereby determining whether or not they can or will continue their studies.
WASH And Health
UNICEF attests that when schools have clean toilets, clean water, and handwashing facilities, the possibility of transmission of communicable diseases reduces. Children are more likely to get water-borne diseases, making these facilities even more important in schools so that they can regularly wash their hands and stay safe. A lack of proper sanitation also risks students from contracting diarrhoea, which kills 289,000 children under 5 per year worldwide.
Moreover, this becomes a greater health concern for girls because they are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and not visiting the bathroom when one needs to increase the bacteria count, thereby raising the risk for infections. On the other hand, unhygienic bathrooms are also an incubus for bacteria, which again begets UTIs. In the event that a girl does contract a UTI, she ends up missing her education for even longer.
WASH and Menstruation
Another crucial aspect of girls’ health that determines their school participation is menstruation and if toilets, sanitation, water, and other related facilities are available to accommodate them. Most girls drop out of school when they begin their period or do not attend the days they get their period because of unsatisfactory infrastructure and menstrual waste management.
Schools that do have toilets must maintain a sanitised and hygienic environment since poor menstrual management can lead to health issues like UTI’s (which can create kidney problems), genital tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, alteration in pH balance of secretions, etc.
The need for schools to engage with menstruation among adolescent girls goes beyond the existence of washrooms. Schools also need to educate their students about menstruation and work to dismantle the connotations and stigma around it. This will further encourage girls to attend school and will enable them to better contribute to themselves and society.
WASH And Safety
Safety is undoubtedly a concern for every woman in India. Women who do not have access to toilets are compelled to use public spaces and facilities, which put them at greater risk for violence and sexual assault. Parents are more likely to send their girls to schools if they know that this basic necessity is taken care of and that their daughters will be safe. Similarly, girls will also feel comfortable attending school without the fears that come with the prospect of using toilets in public. Thus a healthier learning environment will be created, which will ultimately help them grow.
WASH, therefore, has a significant place in the education of girls. Girls will attend school if they do not have to worry about their health, menstruation, and safety. The establishment of safe and hygienic toilets and water facilities will move them past these basic concerns so that their focus is solely on their education when they are at school.
The author is a Kaksha Correspondent as a part of writers’ training program under Kaksha Crisis.