Why females are affected more by poor sanitation .

This blog will explore why poor sanitation & water supply leads to women and girls being more at risk in communities in Africa than men.

Main issues females in Africa face compared to males.

1) Issue with responsibility: Women and girls in Africa are normally the responsible ones for collecting water in communities, in Kenya for example in 49 % of households it is women over the age of 15 who are responsible, in rural areas the pressure on women to get water is 6 times higher than urban areas. 

2) Issue with distance & facilities: Water sources can be as far as 30 minutes away and they might have to make multiple trips in one day. These sources are often very treacherous and dangerous - it is common for women to get crushed by wells collapsing or they slip as they climb down these open wells. Fisher J (2008). Pit latrines are holes in the ground where people go to the toilet, they are not connected to any sewage system and these would need emptying on a regular basis. It is a very common feature in informal settlements in Africa. The problem is that just one pit latrine is normally used by 50 people living in the area. In Kibera the largest slum in Nairobi in 1998 for 40,000 people there was only two pit laterines Davis M (2006). The poor water supply & sanitation meant that women and girls will wait all day till it gets dark to go to the toilet - therefore making them more susceptible to sexual attack. In Kenya alone around 5 million people have no facilities at all, it also means that women drink less water so they don't have to go to the toilet as often which can lead to health impacts Fisher J (2008). This issue means many people use the 'flying toilet' method, they do their business in a plastic bag and just throw it out where they feel like Davis M (2006).



Figure 1 A pit latrines - source 

3) Impact of carrying water: In a study by Genre J et al 2010 it was found that out of 29 participants of the study 69 % of those women carrying large amounts of water lead to spinal pain, 38 % back pain and 41 % neck or head pain. The collection of water is mainly left down to women and girls. This impacts those girls in schools as it leaves them with a lack of energy and time due to the hours taken up with collecting water WSP (2004).

Figure 2 Source 

5) Menstration: There is a possible link between lack of sanitation in Sub Saharan Africa schools and girls who are showing low attendance, menstration is a subject of taboo for most. As the worlds eyes are now all on Meghan Markle and her engagement to Prince Harry, a quick look into her charity work brings up a topic that relates closely to this blog.  Meghan is keen to break down the taboo about menstruation by using her high profile status, for those who are fans and can't wait to read the full article on her views on this topic click on this link.

"Imagine a world where the female leaders we revere never achieved their full potential because they dropped out of school at the age of thirteen" Markle M (2017). 

I believe that this is a very powerful statement and makes you realise how many highly successful female leaders who would probably never have become who they are today, if they had been born in a part of the world with poor sanitation and facilities and had to drop out of school.

In schools, girls who reach puberty should have access to a safe private toilet and clean water to wash and clean their menstrual cloths wateraid (2013). This is something that is taken for granted in the western world but for millions in Africa and in other developing countries this is a issue they face every day.
It was found that from primary to secondary school there is a 30 % drop in girls attending secondary school and 50 % don't even finish primary school Herz & sterling (2004).  
The strongest social stress and block to girls to attend school is menstruation, and lack of facilities to help them deal with it Jewitt S 2014. 

The paper by McMahon S et al 2011 provides a great insight into the feelings of school girls in Kenya in regards to menstruation. I highly recommend the paper to anyone who wants to read further. 

These are the main issues presented below regarding school girls.

- Sense of confusion 

- Sense of embarrassment 

- They think that it causes them to have a sexual status

- Dont have money for pads 

- Struggle to concentrate in class - mind is focused on if they are going to get blood stains on their uniform - what will they do.

- Use old cloths or rags which leak/ cause chafing

- Bullied at school - called dirty and teased with phrases such as  'go get married'

- They will miss school because of this while on their period

- At schools there is a lack of facilities to enable them to deal with their period

- Lack of water, if there is it is cold, school washrooms are not clean, don't have soap and have no privacy. 

This creates a cycle for thousands of girls, which is shown below in figure 3.

 Figure 3 - Source McMahon S et al 2011

While this paper does a great job in highlighting what girls really are feeling, it fails to include information from the parents on why they find it hard to support their child through this period of their life and also it does not interview the boys who are said to bully the girls during their periods to get their option on the issue.