Since the inception of the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, the government of India has worked feverishly alongside community groups, NGOs, and development partners to end the scourge of open defecation and to ensure equal access to sanitation and hygiene for all.
Our mission is an unprecedented call to action for all tiers of society to work together to solve India’s deep-rooted sanitation challenges for the wellbeing, prosperity and social cohesion of its 1.2 billion citizens. With India currently home to 60% of the world’s open defecators, Narendra Modi, the prime minister, has led the way on raising awareness of the impact of poor sanitation on health, productivity and dignity. Modi knows that the health of India’s citizens means an increase in wealth, and that economic development goes hand in hand with social development. What better way to promote the economy than to emphasise inclusive growth through sanitation for all? As we stand at the midway point in the government’s five-year mission, we must now train our sights on the populations that are the hardest to reach. We need to ensure that no one is left behind in this quest for universal sanitation and hygiene.
The reality is that the mission won’t achieve its goals unless those delivering sanitation services are focused on the voices of marginalised populations. Policies, facilities and information need to be accessible for the elderly, the disabled, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and the transgender population. It is impossible for everyone in India, and around the world, to gain access to toilets and taps unless those of us implementing campaigns learn from the end users, as well as the unsung heroes: the front-line practitioners, who intimately understand the progress and constraints of the sanitation movement.
Leaders of women’s groups and farmer’s associations, development officers, and NGO practitioners are toiling day in and day out, village-by-village, to end open defecation. They understand fully that this requires not only a campaign and political will, but also the practical tools of collective action. It is therefore incumbent on all policymakers to listen to people who lack access to toilets, to include them in the conversation, and to promote a more inclusive approach.
On 18 November, the WSSCC will further the discussion during our Sanitation Action Summit in partnership with the government of India, the government of Maharashtra, the Swacch Bharat Mission and Global Citizen India. The summit will train the spotlight on government accountability towards the poorest and most marginalised, and ensure that all voices are heard. We will also widen the conversation to include the Indian business community to facilitate constructive dialogue at all levels of society.
On 19 November, the UN’s World Toilet Day, the Global Citizen Campaign will be coming to India for the first time to raise awareness about the need to end the practice of open defecation and promote good hygiene. Global Citizen has done more in the past two years to elevate the issue of sanitation worldwide than any other institution. Specifically, it has mainstreamed sanitation into popular culture. By targeting their advocacy and media efforts on global decision-makers, Global Citizen has empowered a huge audience to hold their leaders accountable. The festival has harnessed the universal power of music, attracting world-famous artists including Coldplay, Jay-Z, and Demi Lovato, to elevate sanitation within the international development community.
This year’s Global Citizen Festival will amplify the issues of sanitation, health, and accountability within India itself for the first time. Sanitation is a fundamental human right, and it is incumbent upon all of us to to make this a reality.
Let’s embrace the concept of citizenship beyond our neighbourhoods, beyond our cities, beyond our states. Let’s collectively take on the responsibility for making society a better place. India is demonstrating its commitment.Now it’s time for all of us, engaging as global citizens, to answer the call.
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