In Bangladesh, the condition of public toilets, ranging from roadside facilities to those in restaurants, markets, and offices, paints a pathetic picture of hygiene and accessibility. Overflowing commodes, lack of running water, broken doors, and the overpowering stench are disturbingly common. For most users, stepping into a public restroom is an act of necessity over choice. And for women, the challenges are multiplied. While these facilities are meant to provide basic sanitation, they often become a source of anxiety, discomfort, and serious health risks. The lack of maintenance, poor design, and minimal regulation turn them into breeding grounds for infections rather than safe spaces for relief.
Ensuring hygiene in public restrooms is not just about cleanliness but a public health concern. Unsanitary toilets can be the starting point for various contagious diseases. Fungal infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), hepatitis A, bacterial vaginosis, and gastrointestinal illnesses are just a few examples. Many toilets do not have proper handwashing stations, soap, or even water. When users, especially women, are forced to use these facilities, they risk exposure to pathogens through direct contact with contaminated surfaces or through airborne particles in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces. The issue is further made worse by the fact that many women avoid using these toilets altogether, leading to health problems caused by holding in urine for long periods, such as bladder infections and kidney issues.
For women, the consequences of inadequate public sanitation are far more complex and deeply rooted in gender inequality. Unlike men, who can sometimes relieve themselves in the open, women require privacy, safety, and basic facilities like clean water, soap, and disposal bins for menstrual hygiene products. Unfortunately, public toilets in our country are rarely designed with women's needs in mind. A study conducted by WaterAid Bangladesh revealed that in many parts of Dhaka, fewer than one in five public toilets are considered usable by women due to the lack of safety, cleanliness, and privacy. In many instances, women have reported incidents of harassment, stalking, and even assault near or inside public toilets.
There have been real-life accounts highlighting this crisis. A study conducted in the Bandarban Hill District revealed that 35.54% of Indigenous adolescent girls reported UTI symptoms during periods of water scarcity. The lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities during these times contributed significantly to the prevalence of infections. In rural areas, some women continue to practice open defecation during early hours to avoid using public facilities altogether, increasing their vulnerability to violence and snake bites. A study by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) revealed that approximately 95% of snakebite incidents in Bangladesh occur in rural areas, where access to proper sanitation facilities is limited. In June 2022, around 50 female workers at Arbella Fashion Limited in Gazipur suddenly fell ill, reportedly due to excessive heat. Some of the affected women expressed fear of using the factory's toilets, suggesting that inadequate sanitation facilities may have contributed to their health issues. These are not special case-to-case incidents, they reflect the everyday dangers faced by countless women across the country.
Solving the issue of unhygienic public toilets requires a multi-layered approach. First, metropolises must invest in building more women-friendly sanitation facilities with proper water supply, waste management, and maintenance mechanisms. Public-private partnerships could also be effective where businesses can sponsor or maintain clean washrooms in high-traffic areas in exchange for advertising space. Awareness campaigns should be launched to break the cultural taboo around women's toilet needs and promote hygiene education. Additionally, community engagement is crucial. Women should be included in the planning, designing, and monitoring of public toilet projects to ensure their voices are heard.
Access to clean, safe toilets is not a luxury, it is a fundamental human right. For Bangladesh to progress in public health, gender equality, and urban planning, ensuring proper sanitation facilities for women must be a national priority. The next time we walk past a deteriorating restroom or hesitate to speak up about poor toilet conditions, we must remember that silence and inaction are also part of the problem. Every human has the right to safe, hygienic public toilets- anything less is a failure of basic decency and public responsibility.
