NPR: Happy #WorldToiletDay! Here’s What It’s Like To Live Without One
Jane Otai, senior program adviser at Jhpiego

“…Many of the Sustainable Development Goals endorsed by the U.N. this year hinge on girls gaining an education. We need to recognize that in many regions of the world, that hinges on creating facilities such as toilets and hand-washing stations and providing a supply of sanitary pads for students. This would go a long way in ensuring that girls feel confident at school and look forward to attending classes. As we celebrate World Toilet Day, let us focus on sensitizing communities and schools about this issue. Let’s acknowledge that it is a big challenge for children living in informal settlements and do what we can — including building pit latrines near households and constructing clean toilets at schools…” (11/19).

CNN: Time to talk about toilets
Isha Sesay, anchor and correspondent for CNN International and Global Citizen Ambassador and founder of W.E. Can Lead

“…[T]he issue of inadequate sanitation takes on another dimension when it comes to women and girls. They are among the ones who suffer the most, and yet their plight is too readily overlooked as part of the water and sanitation crisis. … As the founder of the not-for-profit organization W.E. Can Lead, which aims to educate and empower Africa’s teenage girls, I feel compelled to lend my voice to efforts to right this wrong. Think about it this way — millions of girls are unable to fulfill their potential simply because they don’t have access to toilets and running water! … On this World Toilet Day, speak up and demand that more is done…” (11/19).