Girls under ten being have been raped while on their way to use a public toilet, say women living in Delhi’s slums. In one slum, boys hid in toilet cubicles at night waiting to rape those who entered. These are some of the incidents mentioned in a recent briefing note [1] based on research supported by WaterAid and the DFID-funded SHARE (Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity).
The link between a lack of access to water and sanitation facilities and sexual violence against women is not well known and to date has received insufficient attention. The briefing note highlights this link within the context of urban slums in Delhi, and suggests how this problem can be addressed.
[1] Lennon, S. 2011. Fear and anger : perceptions of risks related to sexual violence against women linked to water and sanitation in Delhi, India. (SHARE briefing note). London, UK, SHARE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 15 p. Available at: www.shareresearch.org/Resource/Details/violenceagainstwomen_india
Related news:
- Insecurity and indignity : women’s experiences in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, E-Source, 23 Jul 2010
- Ghana: stop violence against girls – build school toilets, E-Source, 21 Sep 2009
Related web sites:
- SHARE (Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity)
- WSSCC – Gender and WASH
- IRC – Gender and Equity
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