According to the census of 2011, women form nearly half of city's populace with 5,741,632 headcount. But their basic need of free, clean and safe public urinal facilities have long taken a backseat in a city, which is otherwise considered safe for them.
The hesitancy in speaking out resulted in the issue remaining on the back-burner, even at the cost of contracting illnesses like urinal tract infection.
Some NGOs chose to take up the issue more than three years ago, fully aware that this was going to be a long-drawn battle. When the outfits took up the unique fight on May, 2011, there were 18 NGOs supporting the mission. The number has today grown to 30.
While the NGOs have been pushing their demands at city and state-levels, they also ensured they spread awareness over the issue by holding workshops and meetings in order to strengthen their fight. The result of their consistent effort: the BMC this year took its first steps towards solving the issue by holding meetings.
In August this year, municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte announced forming a 10-member joint committee for civic officers and NGO representatives to assess the present situation and study future needs of free and safe urinals for women.
As the city observes International Toilet Day on Wednesday, the campaigners maintain their fight is still not over. "We have struggled to bring the officers across the table for discussion. We know this is not the end of it, but we have set the ball rolling. We want to ensure women have adequate number of free and safe urinals," a campaigner said, wishing not to be named. The campaigners have demanded that corporation spend around 16.5 percent of its budget on constructing and maintaining toilets in proportion with city women populace.
Key demands made by women's organizations
Women should have separate, free, clean and safe public urinals
Boards mentioning peeing is 'free for women' should be displayed at all pay and use toilets
Proper arrangements should be made for physically challenged women
Such urinals be managed only by NGOs championing issues relating women, while BMC should build the urinals and make available the fund to operate them
Sanitary pads and dustbins be made available in toilets
Toilets must be constructed at every 1km
Provision be made for toilets in development plan being revised for 2014-2034.
Future activities to build pressure
Forming ward-level committees with civic officials to study and execute plans to provide free urinals for women. Process to form such committees in 17 of 24 administrative wards is on right now
Mapping urinals/toilets on Google Map. This will create a database across country, feel campaigners
Expanding the scope of work of right to pee campaign to rest of state
Holding awareness camps/workshops in Maharashtra
Studying similar movements in other countries
Statistics (sourced by the NGOs under right to information act)
Women populace in city as per Census 2011 -- 5741632
Total number of toilets: 2591
Total toilet seats
For men: 6568
For women: 3813
Bathrooms: 842
Independent urinals
For men: ????
For women: 0
Fund allotted by BMC to construct toilets in the year 2013-14 -- Rs 75 lakh
Fund allotted by BMC to construct toilets in the year 2014-15 -- Rs 1 crore
Civic solid waste management department's budget -- Rs 514 crore
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