User:JustinePorto/Public toilets in Namibia

Public toilets in Namibia are relatively common compared to most other African countries. Campsites often have limited to no toilet facilities. Some places continue to be underserved by the lack of public toilets, and open defecation is common.

Public toilets
A 2021 study found there were seven public toilets per 100,000 people. This was the second most of all African countries included in the study.

Most campsites have limited facilities, so people are encouraged to burn used toilet paper and take all their litter with them. Remote campsites often do not have modern bathroom facilities. Instead, they have pit toilets and bucket showers.

History
In majority white ruled parts of the country in the late 1970s, public toilets were often available and well maintained as a means of reinforcing racial segregation. These facilities were also something demanded by local white expatriates. This contrasted with public toilet services for other people, which were largely non-existent.

WaterAid said in 2016 that the country ranked in the top ten in the world for countries where public defecation was most common.

In 2020, residents in the Okafululu informal settlement in Oshikango spoke with The Namibian and complained about the lack of public toilets in the area. They said this lack made them fear that disease could spread through the settlement. Women residents in the Okafululu informal settlement said in 2020 that open defecation left them at risk of being attacked and made them embarrassed because they were so exposed to the public view. In parts of Okafululu where there were public toilets, it often cost around N$2 to use the facilities. For many residents, this was too expensive for them.

Regional and global situation impacting public toilets in Namibia
Around 2.5 billion people around the world in 2018 did not have access to adequate toilet facilities. Around 4.5 billion people lacked access to proper sanitation. 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.

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. 344 million children in sub-Saharan Africa did not have a toilet in their home in 2018. The lack of toilet access put these children at risk of water borne diseases.

Across Africa, open defecation had social consequences. These included loss of dignity and privacy. It also put women at risk of sexual violence.

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.