The propensity for us ascribe days to inanimate objects seems endless. Some of the more obscure that we’ve encountered recently include ‘Picnic Day’, ‘World TV Day’ (which coincidentally shares a day with ‘World Hello Day’, one promoting socialising and one well…not), ‘Lefthanders Day’ and everybody’s favourite, ‘International Talk Like a Pirate Day’.
So it would not be out of the question to, upon hearing the words ‘World Toilet Day’, shake your head, perhaps laugh, and turn the page, or click the link for Laser Hair Solutions in the right side panel (because this site appreciates the plight of the left hander when designing web content).
All jokes aside, World Toilet Day is an internationally recognised and significant promoting a critical issue for 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty. It is the lack of safe toilets. We know the solution and we have the technology to simply, effectively and practically make a difference, all we need is the will.
So the question is… ‘This world toilet day, will you give a crap?’
The shocking reality is 2.5 billion people in the world do not have a safe place to go to the toilet, and 18% of the world’s population are forced to perform public defecation. That amounts to 500,000 tonnes of poo being dumped in the environment every day. It is a horrific statistic and one that highlights the underlying injustice of extreme poverty. We in Australia don’t even have to think about it, in fact we take it as a given that there will be a private and operational toilet available to us at all times. It’s hardly a luxury - or is it?
How would you feel if you didn’t have private place to poo? If you had to do it on a street, by a tree, in front of friends or worse, total strangers? Certainly this poses a greater problem for women and children. For women it becomes an issue of indignity and ultimately health. Opting to hold on all day as opposed to performing open defecation, women reduce their food and water intake to manage which subsequently leads to drastic health issues. Pregnant women are also far more susceptible to infection resulting from poor sanitation.
Horrifically and all too commonly with issues of extreme poverty, this issue affects children the most in the developing world. 1.6 million children die every year from diarrhea resulting from a lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. It is the root cause of more child deaths than malaria, HIV/AIDS and measles combined. Without increased spending on sanitation these figures cannot and will not drastically improve. It is a senseless waste to continue to let children die for something as simple as a toilet. We need to take action.
Water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental to sustainable development and ending poverty. Investing in these areas will allow progress on the following Millennium Developing Goals and enable us to…
- End extreme poverty.
- Promote Gender Equality and empower Women,
- Reduce Child Mortality,
- Improve Maternal Health; and
- Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases
World Toilet Day is tomorrow, November 19th and acknowledges the need to commit to this issue. One of our partners at The Global Poverty Project, Wateraid will be hosting a BIG SQUAT flash mob in Melbourne’s CBD to raise awareness and the Australian Toilet Organisation is putting on the Sanitation is Dignity :Where would you hide? exhibit.
At the Global Poverty Project we have developed a presentation that educates and informs the community on the challenges and opportunities of extreme poverty and what we can do in an every day sense to make a difference.
For more information on how you can take action, by donating, participating in the squat or lobbying on this issue visit our websites www.globalpovertyproject.com and www.wateraid.org/australia
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
RT @ToryShepherd: Onya, @KRuddMP“@newscomauHQ: BREAKING: Kevin Rudd has come out in support of same sex marriage: http://t.co/CFaHrxyV5G”
RT @newscomauHQ: BREAKING: Kevin Rudd has come out in support of same sex marriage: http://t.co/2KEO6yEx5F
True Rudd style. Bazillion word folksy statement
RT @Rob_Stott: Like a lot of Republicans in the US, it's much easier to support gay marriage when you're no longer in a position to do anyt…
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
Most commented