User:JustinePorto/Public toilets in Mauritius

Public toilets in Mauritius

Public toilets
The local word for public toilet is Sal De Bain.

The typical charge to use a public toilet is nothing.

There is a mix of squat and sit toilets.

Public toilets rarely have toilet paper.

When visiting parks, people are asked to carry out used toilet paper, condoms, sanitary napkins and tampons.

Regional and global situation impacting public toilets in Mauritius
Public toilet access around the world is most acute in the Global South, with around 3.6 billion people, 40% of the world's total population, lacking access to any toilet facilities. 2.3 people in the the Global South do not have toilet facilities in their residence. Despite the fact that the United Nation made a declaration in 2010 that clean water and sanitation is a human right, little has been done in many places towards addressing this on a wider level. There are a lack of public toilets in East Africa. 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. Flush toilets are often only found in affluent areas of developing countries.