For somebody identifying as a woman who wishes to make a career in the policy and political space, I’ve accompanied the seniors at rallies, election campaigns, etc. As I write this petition at 21, I've already faced the horror of UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) thrice and the most probable diagnosed reasons have been holding the urge to pee for hours or the use of public toilets.

But this isn't only about my story. Every other woman irrespective of her age has had an experience with extremely pathetic public toilets, the pain of not being able to pee for hours, not drinking enough water as a solution and so on. The problem of unclean and unhygienic public toilets or non-existence of toilets for women puts the 5.6 crores of female population of the state at the risk of either UTIs or Kidney Stones.

Although women representation on the political posts is as scanty as 10% in the state, the participation of women in parties as volunteers, campaigners, protesters is as high as 40% taking into consideration the women wings that every party has. Furthermore, the problem of unclean toilets is also one of the major reasons behind the skewed gender ratio in professions that require long hours of commute and outdoor activities like Politics. 

With the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 already in progress, the concept of Aspirational toilets being introduced for urban areas and the government funding crores to ensure toilets being built, their maintenance is not being catered to. A toilet with no secured door knobs, no water facility is as good as no-toilet. Women face the brunt of this to a great extent owing to men using open public spaces for urinating irrespective of there being a toilet facility for them. 

As we head closer to 2030 and try to meet the Agenda which entails: ‘real and sustained gender equality in all aspects of women and girls’ lives’; it is the need of the hour to ensure that at least basic needs of women are met and amenities are provided as it violates the basic equal rights to health, access to sanitation and public space. According to WHO, a state with a population of as much as 11 Crores needs at least 11 lakh public toilets across the state and the number of those in Maharashtra which is not available in public domain yet clearly is severely lower than that required. 

I urge the Party Presidents and Presidents of women’s wings  of the BJP, INC, SS, NCP and MNS from Maharashtra to - 

A] Have 1 Portable Toilet for women at every campaign rally in Maharashtra that happens for the 2024 parliamentary and state assembly elections.

B] Include in their election manifestos for the State Assembly elections' 24 : "Providing 1 accessible and clean public toilet for women in Each village of Maharashtra and seeing to it that they are not merely built but well maintained"

Join me in asking the Party Presidents and Presidents of Women’s wings of Political Parties from Maharashtra by signing this petition.

#HerRightToPee