Do you give a crap about World Toilet Day?

T.Chong says:

03:56pm | 18/11/09

An important topic, no doubt, but a definite 8.5/10 for the headline.

Jenny Steeves says:

05:54pm | 18/11/09

Lovely article, and thank you for your support on this serious topic. 

I just wanted to let everyone know you can organize your own Big Squat no matter where you are.  Google employees have organized ones in their office in Singapore and Chicago. It’s a global movement - if you will.  Organize one in just 4 steps: http://worldtoiletday.com/squat/toolkit.html

Squatting to save the world,
Jenny
Global Coordinator for World Toilet Day
World Toilet Organization

Eric says:

07:12pm | 18/11/09

Well, this was a reasonable article until you started with the “women and children worst affected” crap. As soon as I see a cause that places men at the bottom (nudge nudge) of the scale, I tune out.

Before I consign you to the dustbin of history, I’ll just point out that the problem isn’t lack of will or lack of means—it’s third world government corruption. We could fix these problems if we just cleared out the dictators and bureaucrats who grow fat on aid corruption.

But I guess you’re too busy blaming evil white male capitalists to actually look at the root of the problem.

stephen says:

09:36pm | 18/11/09

I’d say the way the Palestine-Israel resolution is progessing, the only place for a crap in America is smack-bang in the White House.

Stefano says:

09:56pm | 18/11/09

I just wanted my post to be No. 2

Eric Redbeard says:

10:48pm | 18/11/09

Great article - you clearly know your shit!

Eric says:

11:00pm | 18/11/09

One only has to travel a few hours to some of our northern neighbours to actually appreciate something we all take for granted, and that is a comfortable & clean place to go to the toilet, no crap.

Wendy says:

01:42am | 19/11/09

Eric 7.12 - this IS an issue that effects women more than men in many parts of the world. Men can easily take a piss in public, and even take a crap without other men caring or women staring (a women staring would be seen as provocative), whereas a women dropping her pants in public would cause a huge spectacle and she would be judged on her immodesty. I’ve lived in developing countries, I’ve seen this and heard first hand stories. Surely you’re aware of how widespread double standards on modesty and covering up are?

Eric says:

05:31am | 19/11/09

Wendy 1.42 - I take your point. My first and third paragraphs were hastily typed and quite uncalled-for. I withdraw and apologise for posting them.

I still think the main problem lies with third-world governments, or lack thereof. Too much of our aid goes straight into the pockets of thugs and kleptocrats.

Thomas says:

10:02am | 19/11/09

Eric 7:12,

As a white male capitalist, I have some sympathy for you feeling indirectly blamed when an issue is couched as affecting women and children the worst.

However, for a myriad of reasons, it is the truth - all over the world, women and children get the short end of the socio-economic stick. Personally, I’d feel relieved if issues of poverty and corruption affected adult males as badly as women and children, as it would mean that the forces of misogyny, both overt and subtle, that are ingrained in so many cultures (including our own) were nullified.

A great book on the subject is ‘Half the Sky’ by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Check out the description on Amazon and you’ll see what I mean.

Ash says:

08:38am | 20/11/09

Thanks Wendy and Thomas for elaborating on the concerns around women and children.  And thanks to Eric for owning up to a hasty post.

I also wish it wasn’t true that women and children were most affected by socio-economic realities such as poor sanitation.  But it is, and like Wendy I have seen it first hand.  Listen to a woman tell you how she can only go to the toilet in the middle of the night when no one can see her and talking about how scared she is because she has friends who have been raped when doing so, and you begin to understand the magnitude of the issue.  Listen to her say this while watching a man piss on the sidewalk, and it’s even more poignant. 

I will definitely pick up Half the Sky - looks great!

Jeremy says:

12:22pm | 20/11/09

Eric 5.31, you perpetuate the myth that aid is nothing more than systematic cash transfers from one government to another (Dambisa Moyo, in her much publicised - and overrated in my view - book “Dead Aid” suggests this). This may have been the case a couple of decades back, but aid has come a long way since then.

Alot of aid today comes in the form of “technical assistance”, this non-cash activity involves working within poor government systems so that they become better able to meet the basic needs of their citizens.

By working within these systems rather than outside them (in self contained aid ‘projects’ with a limited life span), the impact of aid is more sustainable too.

Aid is not an exact science. We continue to learn how to make it as effective as it can be. Mistakes are still being made. But I believe modern approaches to aid are ensuring that more of it is reaching those who need it most.

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