Lack of Toilet Facilities in Schools Adversely Affects Girls' Education

The lack of clean and private toilet facilities for girls in schools is becoming a serious problem, directly affecting the academic attendance and future of daughters. The example of a 14-year-old girl from a village clarifies this situation, who quietly remains absent from school for a few days every month. Her teachers and parents believe she lacks interest in studies, but the real reason for her absence is the lack of toilet facilities. Since there is no usable private toilet for girls in her school, she prefers to stay home to avoid the difficulty of managing menstruation in front of other students.

According to a report by TV9 Gujarati, this is not merely an individual problem but a major national issue. Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics shows that approximately 40 per cent of girls in India drop out of school before completing Grade 10. This figure is alarming for those who believe that the gap between boys and girls in the field of education in India has now been bridged.

No single major event is responsible for girls dropping out of school; rather, several small difficulties gradually accumulate. These problems are particularly evident when children transition from primary education to secondary education. During this sensitive phase, the rate of school dropouts increases among all children in India, but the impact is proportionally higher on girls.

Deficiencies in school infrastructure, especially the shortage of water and usable toilets, are a central part of this problem. Research suggests that in many regions of the world, including India, these facilities are inadequate. If girls do not find private and clean toilets during menstruation, they prefer to stay home instead of going to school. In this way, the monthly absences lead to significant losses in their studies throughout the academic year. This matter is not just a subject of shame or hesitation, but a deficiency in school facilities that directly impacts student attendance.

Secondary schools are often further from home than primary schools, sometimes located 5 kilometres or more away. In such situations, parents remain concerned about the safety of their daughters. This concern increases especially where there is insufficient lighting on the roads or where the public transport system is unreliable. Eve-teasing and harassment on the roads are also major reasons for quitting studies. Considering these risks, parents decide whether to continue sending their daughters to school after a certain age.

Child marriage also has a direct correlation with the education and attendance of girls. India has approximately one-third of the world's child brides. According to research by the 'Girls Not Brides' organisation, if a girl completes one additional year of secondary education, the probability of her being married as a child decreases by approximately 6 per cent. This problem works both ways: girls who leave school early are at higher risk of child marriage, and families who consider early marriage give less importance to education.

Economic difficulties are also a major obstacle. In many families, daughters have to engage in chores, caring for younger siblings, or agricultural labour. In families with limited income, priority is often given to the son's education over the daughter's. To solve these problems, it is not necessary to change all social beliefs, but big changes can be brought about through small and practical steps. Positive results have been seen through certain schemes in several states of India because those schemes directly address the economic difficulties of the family.