WASH, violence and health: a quantitative analysis

In India out of the 246,692,667 households there are 53.1% having no latrines. Similarly in the urban areas out of 78,865,937 there are 18.6% without latrines. Two thirds of Indian homes are devoid of a drinking water facility from a treated tap source. Inadequate water and sanitation impacts women as they face challenges and are widely exposed to vulnerable situation posing a threat to their dignity and safety. To understand the challenges in accessing water and sanitation provisions a PhD study was conducted in the urban slums of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The findings indicate that 89.5% respondents did not feel safe defecating in the open. 96% women and 40% men controlled the urge to defecate. A key finding of the study was that 68% of the women had experienced violence in some or the other form.