Public toilets for Dhaka women

Getting down from the bus stuck in the years-old traffic jam near Matsya Bhaban, many passengers start walking to their destinations. A lot of them, including office-back women, may have lately noticed a nicely constructed small building. It stands beside the footpath close to Suhrawardy Udyan. It is located a few steps from the overpass connecting the Udyan with Ramna Park. Two separate signboards are in place on the building's upper side. One says it's a public toilet for male use. The other with a different entry says it's for ladies. There are pictorial signs of a man and a woman on the respective signboards. The toilet has been constructed by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

The construction of the toilet in a mostly barren place is laudable. The place is frequented by men, women and children visiting the nearby Shishu Park. Many of those who visit Ramna Park to the east and Suhrawardy Udyan on the west also use the road and the footpath. To the great trouble and embarrassment of these people, especially women, the area has long been without a toilet. The construction of a washroom will greatly alleviate the sufferings of these people. The DSCC has lately constructed a number of public toilets in the capital, especially in the Gulistan area. Many are in the pipeline.

The city authorities' project to build these facilities has fanned out to many far-flung areas. All of these toilet facilities for both male and female users are in operation. But the crux is, many educated and well-to-do women are seen hesitant in using them. There have been complaints of unhygienic condition in a number of them. Many dread the spectre of objectionable behaviour while inside. However, the toilets are well maintained and have sufficient water, as well as female attendants. But the problem lies with fact of the very use of public toilets. Women have yet to reconcile themselves to the casual use of washrooms also visited my males.

As a way out, there is a need for the assignment of well-trained and courteous female staff at the facilities. Or else, the poorly visited expensive toilets will emerge as sheer wastage of the city corporation's funds. In this women-hostile city, the females face great difficulty meeting their toilet needs. Men can somehow make do with this problem, as they are not required to maintain strict privacy. Women by their very nature cannot follow this practice. They badly need clean, exclusive and friendly toilet facilities. The main problem, in spite of their construction spree, is that the number of toilets is still poor. In an otherwise burgeoning city, where scores of woes and ordeals afflict the female population, the inadequate number of toilet facilities aggravates their problems. Women are already passing through many adverse situations in this city.

Sumaiya M Dolly

Elephant Road,

Dhaka