[#womensdayeveryday] Girls schooling goes along with access to sanitation

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) no. 5, which focuses on gender equality and the emancipation of women, and SDG no. 6 concerning universal access to water and sanitation, are interdependent and mutually reinforce each other.

2.4 billion people around the world do not have access to basic sanitation. According to the UNO, women are at even greater risk to contract illnesses caused by poor hygiene conditions. A sick woman cannot work, meet the needs of her family or become more autonomous. The lack of sanitation stations in schools is one of the main factors that prevents girls from attending school regularly. To remedy this situation, SUEZ helps to install toilets and water points in order to preserve the health and development of women and girls.

Title Developing access to water and sanitation in education centres (Bangladesh)

In Bangladesh, the SUEZ Foundation works with the Secours Catholique - Caritas France to build/renovate latrines and clean water points in more than 1000 educational centres. This initiative is part of a vast programme aimed at helping oppressed ethnic minorities in the poor and isolated villages of Bangladesh. The project, called “Aloghar”, promotes children’s access to primary school and helps parents and children gain basic awareness of hygiene, sanitation and natural disaster management. 158,000 children (5-14 years) attended school for the first time or returned to school thanks to this initiative.

Improving sanitary and economic conditions for women in Kenya

The SUEZ Foundation supports the development of the Fresh Life Toilets project carried out by Sanergy in the shanty towns of Nairobi, Kenya. Now, the women in certain informal settlements have access to permanent toilets, paper and water points with soap for washing their hands. They and their children are less often ill. They can also emancipate themselves through gainful employment: they can become Sanergy operators in charge of managing toilets and collecting organic waste for energy recovery and to produce organic fertilizer. 1,134 Fresh Life Toilets have already been installed, serving 10,000 people. The rapidly developing network draws on around a hundred franchises, for an annual revenue of $1,000 per toilet.

Read the interview of Myriam Bincaille, Delegate General of the Fondation SUEZ:
> Myriam Bincaille Women and girls are the first to be affected by the lack of access to resources