Tackling Taboos

So far, this blog has discussed how gender and water are related and has explored the consequences of this relationship. A common denominator for many of the issues we have discussed has been cultural norms. Therefore, all solutions proposed, regardless of their size and scale, must consider cultural norms. Thus, I suggest that solutions should start by addressing and challenging social taboos. Taboos are found everywhere, irrespective of development, culture, or class, and this can span from taboos surrounding sexuality, money, or even asking a woman’s age. I would like to focus on two – the taboo of shit and the taboo of periods.

Taboo of shit

There is an unspoken social rule which restricts how we talk about sanitation. The act of going to the toilet is a private practice and one that is somewhat unhygienic, so does not require attention or discussion. You go, you do, you leave. What more is there to talk about? This social awkwardness around talking about toilets has a wider impact on other aspects, such as gender-based violence and periods.  

Source

In response to this, the UN created World Toilet Day (WTD), which is celebrated annually on the 19th of November. This day aims to depoliticise waste, highlighting the importance of sanitation and hygiene as 55% of the global population do not have access to a toilet today. Moving beyond a development perspective, on the basic level, toilets are needed to protect public health and prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera. WTD was not set up to build more toilets, but instead to remind us that in a world that has become obsessed with washing our hands and wearing facemasks, there are still people who are forced to defecate in the open.

Therefore, it matters where you go when you need to go. Many cultures and communities desire access to a clean and safe toilet but would not aspire to have one inside of their homes. Although this is the norm in the UK, for some, the act of going to the toilet is something that should be kept separate from one’s home to have privacy but also maintain cleanliness. Thus, it is vital that international organisations, such as the UN, do not attempt to impose western practices as the ‘right way’ to resolve such issues as it will clash with cultural norms. Instead, WTD has started and facilitated conversations and raised awareness on the issue of toilets and sanitation.

Period poverty/ Period taboo

Although more than 800 million people are menstruating every day there is dangerous stigmatisation surrounding periods that encourages shame and silence, forming harmful beliefs. For example, in some communities in Kenya, women are not allowed to enter goat pens or milk cows while they menstruate. This immediately lowers women’s social status and are instead seen as “dirty” or different when they are menstruating.

This taboo is enhanced by period poverty which is defined by the WHO-UNICEF as not:

• Being able to use clean materials to absorb or collect menstrual blood, and to change them in privacy as often as necessary
• Being able to use soap and water for washing the body as required and having access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials
• Women and girls have access to basic information about the menstrual cycle, and how to manage it with dignity without discomfort or fear

This taboo affects all three aspects as women are put down during this time and are often unable to access resources such as pads, soap, or a safe space. As a result, various programmes have been created across the world to support young girls by providing them with the right resources and education. For example, The Compassion Project set up a project in Uganda where they trained young girls, and their parents, how to make sanitary towels (image one). This allowed for young girls and women to have access to these resources whilst providing an economic incentive, as they could then be sold to other women. In doing this, more people, including men, wanted to participate which increased the reach of the project, allowing for more people to ask questions and be educated on the topic. 

  Image one: Photo of locals handmaking sanitary pads. Source 

While these examples are different, they both echo the same message: looking after your personal hygiene and health is not a privilege but a basic human right. Therefore, these conversations need to be initiated and maintained to tackle and eradicate these stigmatisations, as they make the invisible visible.