Every Indian Woman Will Find This Twitter Thread About The Horrible State Of Our Public Washrooms Hella Relatable
I feel like I wouldn’t be the best person to do a road trip with. Not because of any other reason that you might be wondering but the fact that I refuse to use public washrooms. Our country is a dream for tourists with its vast landscape and beautiful locations which make sure that there is something for everyone. Having said that, I feel like we don’t have enough resources to make female travellers comfortable in our country. Safety aside, the basic hygiene in our washrooms is lacking, to say the least. We don’t have any facilities for those that might be on their periods. And trust me, the list goes on. If you think I am exaggerating, take a look at this Twitter thread by Ankita Bhatkhande who has spoken about the issues with the washrooms of our country and I agree with what she has to say,
Trust me when I say this: almost every woman has had to and knows how to hold their pee for over an hour if need be.
You either drink less water and risk dehydration and other health issues or somehow use the ill maintained dirty restrooms. Some don't have water, some without dustbins and many without locks in the doors.
— Ankita Bhatkhande (@ankitab1492) July 19, 2022
OMFG YES! This is where the safety and privacy issue comes in. Why are there no proper locks in our washrooms? I
Every woman in India has somehow learnt the skill of squating and holding the door at the same time. Even the paid restrooms are no better. The only difference is that the water taps won't close there leading to terribly wet floors (they throw the water at you for paying )
— Ankita Bhatkhande (@ankitab1492) July 19, 2022
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This is also another problem. It is hard to find washrooms as it is and when you do, they are too unkempt for to feel comfortable even using them,
The absence of enough restrooms is another issue. In many petrol pumps, they have a restroom because it is a mandate but it is locked. I remember a petrol pump manager opening a small AC back office so that I could use a restroom. This is a rare occurrence.
— Ankita Bhatkhande (@ankitab1492) July 19, 2022
So I went on a trip to North recently with a big group. Our car driver stopped in the middle of nowhere for a washroom break. The disparity was so clear: while men literally just turned their backs and started urinating, women walked pretty far into the empty land because there was a big rock behind which they could pee. Make it make sense.
Also Read: An Old Bus In Bengaluru Has Been Converted Into A Public Washroom For Women. We Are Loving This
Long route buses will stop only once or twice in the entire journey and women are supposed to control in case they wish to pee. Men on the other hand can randomly get off at a highway and relieve themselves.
— Ankita Bhatkhande (@ankitab1492) July 19, 2022
Politicians in our country are too busy with important affairs to care about these things but then again, I don’t see much of a change with the bigger issues either, go figure.
When will this change? I don't know. But the sad part is, the problem this huge is not even a part of our public discourse. No politician or bureaucrat talks about it because a.They are mostly men and b. They are too rich to think about this "petty issue"!
— Ankita Bhatkhande (@ankitab1492) July 19, 2022
I have said this before and I will say it again: if these issues were faced by the men of India, they would have been long resolved by now. This is what happens when we have only one section of the population making decisions for everyone: there is no equity. The fact of the matter is, whether this concerns you or not, this is a pressing issue. Women need clean washrooms for hygiene if they are on their periods too. Moreover, women are more likely to develop infections as compared to men, and we have to squat over these disgusting urinals. When is this changing and what are the authorities doing about it?
