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Walking through Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar, an educator filmed a long stretch of road to demonstrate how women are often sidelined in urban planning.
The video highlights the severe shortage of public toilets for women in one of the busiest areas. (Photo Credits: X)
A viral video has brought attention to the state of public toilet infrastructure in Delhi, exposing glaring gender disparities and a lack of inclusivity. Praveen Dixit, a UPSC educator, conducted a social experiment to highlight the severe shortage of public toilets in one of the capital’s busiest areas. Walking through Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar, Dixit filmed a long stretch of road to demonstrate how women are often sidelined in urban planning.
“I want to show a challenge that women face but is rarely part of public discourse,” he said at the start of the video. Introducing viewers to Old Rajendra Nagar, Praveen Dixit urged them to compare the locality’s conditions with other areas in the city before beginning his walkthrough of gender-specific public toilets. His on-ground survey revealed a striking disparity: while there were 10 toilets built exclusively for men, just one was available for women.
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“This reflects the plight of nearly 50 per cent of the population who have access to less than 10 per cent of public toilets,” he commented. Noting how women have been excluded as a part of social decision-making, the UPSC educator emphasised the need to promote inclusion for every section. He went on to describe such instances as a part of Emile Durkheim’s Strain Theory.
“There are two sections in society whose success rate is the same as that of failure. However, one section has fewer resources than the other, leading to pressure or strain on them,” he explained.
Coming back to the issue, Dixit described it as a “gendered sanitation gap,” adding that women drink less water and take many other precautions whenever they go out, which directly affects their health. He even urged viewers to speak to the women of their households to understand how frequently women have to hold their bladders for hours due to such gaps in the sanitation infrastructure.
In response to the educator’s video, many social media users chimed in, sharing their views on the issue. One wrote, “No doubt there should be female toilets, but what if that all is also not maintainable in terms of cleanliness and hygiene perspective? All will remain vacant for sure,” while another added, “Very insightful. Inclusive growth is a part of every government’s agenda, but it doesn’t fructify into implementation.”
A section of social media users even discussed how some women refrain from using public toilets despite having access, stating that they are more worried about the hygiene factor.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
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Delhi, India, India
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