Provide women-friendly toilets
Give access to safe and hygienic toilet facilities for women and girls living in slum communities
To discuss supporting this project contact Johanna on +61 474 977 140 or jo@justpeoples.org
Toilet facilities under construction
When project leader Sharmin Kabir got her first period she didn’t even know what was happening to her body let alone how to manage it, due to the taboo of speaking about periods in Bangladesh. Like most girls, she made do by using old rags to soak up the blood. She’s now renovating slum toilets in Bangladesh so girls can be safe, healthy and shame free.
In Dhaka slums, people don't have toilets in their homes and communal toilets are used by an average of 60 people each. Current facilities are unhygienic and women are vulnerable to attacks due to the lack of privacy, lighting and locks. This project will ensure women and girls have a safe, comfortable space for their toileting needs and the opportunity to manage their periods hygienically and comfortably.
This project exists to renovate communal toilet facilities in Dhaka slums to ensure they are safe, hygienic and "women-friendly". Toilets will be accessible 24/7, have lockable cubicles, and be equipped with menstrual facilities, electricity and running water. The facilities will be designed and delivered in conjunction with women in each host community to ensure toilets meet the safety, privacy and health needs of the women and girl residents.
Each women-friendly toilet facility will directly benefit an average of 30 girls and women.
Meet Sharmin
The woman bringing period positivity and safety to Bangladesh
Sharmin is changing what it means to be a girl in Bangladesh by eliminating the stigma related to periods and bringing menstrual health education to teenagers. In order to make her work accessible and interesting to young girls, Sharmin has created a simple picture book to distribute at her workshops that girls can read in their own time to learn more about what’s happening during their periods. Sharmin has educated over 10,000 girls and boys around Bangladesh so far, and is only just beginning. She also manufactures and distributes reusable sanitary products to girls in poorer areas, to remove period poverty and shame from Bangladesh society. And now she’s creating safe toilets for women living in slums! Learn more.