Toilets to Keep Nepali Girls in School

We know that books and pens are important for studying.....but what about a toilet?

It's lunch break at the Shree Krishna secondary school in Kathmandu.

Students are only given 15 minutes to eat and play.

These boys are playing football... but a number of the girls are queuing for the toilet.

There are nearly 300 students here and only two toilets for boys and girls.

14-year-old Sapana Pudasaini is from grade 10.

“A year ago, we had to go to the toilet out in open field. Now we also have to queue for toilet. Sometimes two or three people share the same toilet at the same time. But during our menstruation period, we have to go one by one, and it takes more time. If we’re going back to the classroom late, our teacher will scold us.”

Lunch break is over... but the queue is still long...

And the next 5-minute break is another 45 minutes away.

“We share toilets with the boys. And boys can’t understand our problem. So especially during menstruation period, it’s like torture for us.”

A recent government report shows that in an average public school 100 students share ONE toilet.

And this has affected girl’s ability to study, says 15-year-old Sunita Waiba from grade 10.

“During our menstruation period, we have to return home. So I decided not to come to school. Then I would skip school for four or five days. After these unwanted absences, I can’t understand my lessons properly. It’s hampering my study.”

Teacher Yesoda Khatiwasa understands this problem.

She has pushed the school management to construct girl-friendly toilets at schools – they’re for girls only, with enough supply of soap, water and pad disposal.

“There’s no changing room and adequate water supply. So most of the girls stay at home during their monthly period. If they come to school, they usually ask for leave and return home. They don’t come to school for 5-6 days. Of course they miss certain classes and it’s hampering their study.”

According to a government report, one-third of girls are absent from class during their monthly period.

And more than 50% of girls quit school by the time they reach grade 10.

This means, the dropout rate increases as they reach puberty and start to menstruate.

The government is trying to address the problem by promising to build 2,000 toilets for girls in public schools this year.

Each school will receive more than 2,000 US dollars to build toilets according to government standard.

Jhappar Singh Biswokarma is the Deputy Director of Nepal Department of Education.

“The government provides monetary support to build girl-friendly toilets, at least one in a secondary and higher secondary school. We hope this will create a better environment for girls to come to school. If they attend classes regularly, their study will be improved and we can reduce the dropout rate.”

But not everyone is optimistic....

Gagdishprasad Singh is the principal of Shree Krishna Secondary School.

“It’s a very good plan, but the government doesn’t provide enough money. They offer us only 60% of the money to build toilets and ask us to manage the rest 40% ourselves. But on the other hand, the government forbids us to charge any fee from students. In our schools, most of the students come from very poor families... So how can we manage the money to build toilets?
 
But some schools like Patan Higher Secondary School have recently built girl-friendly toilets.

Asmita Lama, a student of grade 10, is happy.

“Now it will be very comfortable for us to come to school during our period. We can change our pads safely in our toilets, no one will know about this. If we need pads, the school will provide. We’re very happy.”