User:JustinePorto/Public toilets in Libya

Public toilets in Libya date back to the Roman Empire. The modern system though is fragile, and there are no public toilets in Tripoli.

Public toilets
There are no public toilets in Tripoli. Refugees in detention centers in Tripoli lacked access to public toilets, which results in the spread of disease. Around 85% of adults in Tripoli wash their hands after using a public toilet.

History
Around 42% of high schoolers believed in 2005 that HIV was transmitted in public toilets.

The conflict between Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and the NATO backed Transitional Government in 2011 resulted in damage to Libya's already fragile water and sanitation systems.

As a result of a civil war in Chad, many people fled and became refugees in Libya in the early 1980s. Local authorities built public toilets in Libyan refugee camps, but many Chadian refused to use communal toilets, preferring open defecation instead.

Roman toilets
Starting in the second century AD, the Roman Empire started building public latrines in Italy and North Africa. This improvement was generally widely approved of, and locals integrated using these facilities into their daily lives. Surplus water was often used by Roman aqueducts for flushing sewer systems and public toilets. Many of the toilet seats used by the Romans had round openings. Women used public latrines by crouching over them, which encouraged some women to wear skirts and sarongs without wearing underwear. One of the major differences between the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans was that the Romans supported public baths so that all classes of the population could maintain a certain level of cleanliness. The ancient Romans also prioritized providing clean water for use in public baths and fountains.

Regional and global situation impacting public toilets in Libya
In developing countries, unisex public toilets have been a disaster because they make women feel unsafe and fail to consider local religious beliefs. Across Africa, open defecation had social consequences. These included loss of dignity and privacy. It also put women at risk of sexual violence.

An issue in developing countries is toilet access in schools. Only 46% of schools in developing countries have them. Many schools around the world in 2018 did not have toilets, with the problem particularly acute in parts of Africa and Asia. Only one in five primary schools on earth had a toilet and only one in eight secondary schools had public toilets. In developing countries, girls are less likely to attend school once they hit puberty if their school does not have adequate hygiene facilities.

There are generally two toilet styles in public bathrooms in Africa. One is a traditional squat toilet. The other is a western style toilet with bowl and a place to sit. Sit flush toilets are the most common type of toilet in North Africa. Islamic teachings suggest using water for cleaning after using the toilet. A popular item for Arab travelers to take with them on trips is a handheld portable bidet.