‘Saaf Bath’ initiative to set up portable public toilets with focus on facilitating women

The Salman Sufi Foundation (SSF) has launched a new project ‘Saaf Bath’ to benefit pedestrians, especially women, who do not have access to clean public toilets in Pakistan.

According to a press release, the foundation will set up portable public toilets in Lahore and Karachi during the first stage of the project expected to complete by February 2020. The project aims to facilitate women, who are vulnerable to major diseases due to the lack of availability of clean and hygienic bathrooms.

The SSF is partnering with numerous corporate companies to install portable toilets in all major cities of the country, especially those areas with a large number of female pedestrians. These toilets will set a standard for a public toilet and there will be a proper model that everybody would be asked to follow.

The restrooms will also be made accessible for the aged and the differently-abled and will be maintained by the foundation’s coordinating officers daily. The foundation will also ensure that sufficient hand sanitizer and water is available for the public. In addition, there will also be a diaper station as well as the availability of sanitary pads.

“Many women in Pakistan face severe issues in their menstrual cycle because of the lack of sanitized products and clean places,” said Sufi.

Shedding light on the project, Salman Sufi told The Current: “Initially, we will be launching two to three toilets in Lahore and Karachi. After that, the foundation plans to expand this to the female schools and colleges in Sindh and Punjab. We are working with LDA in Lahore and the commissioner officer in Karachi regarding these.

“We have requested the Sindh government to give us access to female colleges where we can install portable washrooms”, he added.

Sharing further details, Sufi said, “We will be setting a standard for a public toilet and there will be a proper model that everybody would be asked to follow. The toilets will be equipped properly, there will be a diaper station as well as sanitary pads available. Many women in Pakistan face severe issues in their menstrual cycle because of the lack of sanitized products and clean places”.

The project is in line with the foundation’s plan of starting an overall health and sanitation campaign exclusively for women. According to a 2015 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pakistan was the third-largest country where over 43 million people defecate openly.