Safe urban spaces for all shouldn’t be a long haul

Source- The post is based on the article “Safe urban spaces for all shouldn’t be a long haul” published in the “mint” on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Vulnerable sections of the population. GS1- Social empowerment

Relevance– Issues related to gender gap

News– The article deals with lack of access to safe and hygienic facilities for women.

What are some statistics related to coverage of Swachh Bharat Mission?

Swachh Bharat was begun on an impressive scale. Over 100 million toilets were built across rural India within a span of five years. In 2019, the country was declared “open defecation free” (ODF).

The Phase II of the mission started to sustain behavioral shifts by focusing on waste disposal, litter reduction, and stagnant water. Today, of India’s 594,240 villages, 235,708 are declared as “ODF-plus”.

How do women face difficulties in access to hygienic facilities and safe spaces?

Women still face not just an acute scarcity of public urinal facilities in cities. They also face the risk of acquiring infections from unhygienic lavatories. The private set-ups also lack these facilities.

Women who cannot work from home and have less control of their time schedules are more vulnerable.

They face safety issues in transport hubs or field-work trips by road, office spaces or institutional premises.