- Praveen Dixit highlighted the severe shortage of public toilets for women in India
- Lack of women's toilets causes health risks and forces women to limit water intake.
- Dixit urged planners to prioritise women's sanitation needs in public areas.
In a viral video that has sparked widespread conversation, civil services educator and mentor Praveen Dixit has shed light on the glaring lack of public toilets for women in India. Starting the video, Mr Dixit said, "Today, I want to talk about something that's really important but doesn't get discussed enough - a challenge that many women face but often remains hidden from public view."
In the video, Mr Dixit walks through New Delhi's Rajendra Nagar area, a well-known hub for UPSC aspirants, and documents the state of public sanitation facilities. His on-ground survey revealed a stark disparity: while there were ten toilets exclusively for men, only one was available for women. Highlighting the issue, he remarked that this reflects the plight of nearly 50% of the country's population, who have access to less than 10% of public toilets.
Watch the video here:
Highlighting the importance of inclusive decision-making, Praveen Dixit emphasised that the lack of women's toilets isn't due to deliberate neglect but rather a failure to consider women's needs in planning. He compared this oversight to the Strain Theory in sociology, which suggests that when people are pressured to achieve societal goals without adequate means, it creates frustration-sometimes leading to negative consequences. He argued that such systemic neglect creates a sense of bitterness, particularly among women, toward structures dominated by male perspectives.
Mr Dixit termed this issue the "gendered sanitation gap" and urged viewers to speak with the women in their households. He pointed out how commonly women are forced to hold their bladder for 4-6 hours due to the lack of facilities-something men rarely have to endure.
He concluded by describing the situation as not just inconvenient but fundamentally unfair and dangerous to women's health.
"This imbalance makes it extremely difficult for women to step out for long hours," he said, adding that the lack of access to clean public toilets forces many women to limit water intake when outside. "This seemingly small compromise can result in serious health issues," Mr Dixit noted.
The video has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for more inclusive and equitable sanitation infrastructure in India.
"Dehydration is key to survival in the wild. Even in places that do have public toilets, they are so filthy that it's basically unusable. Some are also locked on occasions. Curse of this gender," commented a user.
"Women can even hold their bowel movement for 8-10 hours, and they do this because if there is no water and cleanliness in the toilet, women do not use public toilets for their hygiene," wrote another user.
