In India more than 620 million people defecate in the open; this represents half the population!

The other half, have become blind to the practice – it is a socially accepted norm.

A change is urgently needed. Everyone has to consider the practice of open defecation as totally unacceptable.

Interestingly, open defecation is prevalent among all socio-economic groups in rural India although the bottom two-wealth quintiles practice it most. It’s not all bad news. Each year nearly 20 million people are starting to use a toilet – breaking the inter-generational habit that was taught to them as toddlers. But, quite simply, 20 million new users a year is not enough to ensure that all children are born into an environment that will not contribute to them being stunted; where they will no longer suffer from repeated episodes of diarrhoea; and where girls will be free from harassment and embarrassment as they enter puberty. Using a clean, working toilet is about health and also about dignity. India, at the current rate of progress will only achieve the sanitation target of Millennium Development Goal in 2054!

To address this issue, UNICEF is facilitating a nationwide online communication campaign aimed at raising the most powerful voice of the nation: the voice of youth.

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