NEW DELHI: An Indian woman has been rewarded for her "bold" decision to leave her marital home within days of the wedding to protest the lack of a toilet in the household, an official said on Thursday.
Anita Narre was handed $10,000 by Sulabh International, a non-profit group, for refusing to defecate in the open and sparking a "toilet revolution" in her village in central Madhya Pradesh, according to the district magistrate.
"Narre motivated other women of her village to coax their partners to build toilets. The village is transformed today, thanks to her bold act," B Chadrasekhar told AFP over phone.
Narre left the household of Shivram, a labourer, after her marriage in May last year because the house had no toilet. She returned only once he had built one with help from district officials.
Chandrasekhar said a sanitation campaign that offered to build toilets in the district free of cost had hit a roadblock as villagers thought it was "dirty" to have a toilet inside the house.
"Narre's story is changing mindsets and our sanitation drive is back on track," he said.
"Lots of people from nearby villages have also followed suit and requested us to build latrines. We have moved a proposal to make use of Narre's good example and take her help to motivate others to use toilets."
Lack of toilets and other proper sanitation facilities costs India nearly $54 billion a year through hygiene-related illnesses, lost productivity and other factors stemming from poor sanitation, a World Bank study has found.
The problem is especially acute in rural areas where women suffer the most due to lack of proper sanitation facilities.
A UN study in 2010 found more people in India have access to a mobile phone than to a toilet.
India's mobile subscribers totalled around 894 million at the last count, enough to serve more than half of the country's 1.2 billion population.
But just 366 million people - around a third of the population - had access to proper sanitation, said the UN study.
Jairam Ramesh, India's rural development minister, on Wednesday called for making India "an open defecation free" country in the next 10 years.
Ramesh said it was shameful that India accounted for almost 60% of open defecations in the world, said a statement.
COMMENTS (13)
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@Balma: I want to be your friend. Good to see you after so long:) when i come to karachi, you can be my guide
Always amazes me that India and Pakistan can waste money on nukes and missiles but can't afford a decent toilet or clean drinking water - your priorities are upside down.
@Pakistani Agnostic:
Yes you are right. we have to work hard for this. Govt launched "total sanitation campaign" in 1999. But it was initially opposed by people with conservative mindset in villages bcoz they thought it was "videshi" or "foreigner" system. But due to NGOs campaign and women's organization protests, now it is being accepted and things are moving well. I think within 10 years it could be easily achieved.
Changing old mindset in this part of the world is very difficult thing. But nevertheless lot of change is happening.
I just mentioned in one the post that 3-4 years back, mullah in my country were opposing polio vaccine bcoz they thought it is for sterilization. But now we are polio free for last one year bcoz of Amitabh Bachchan campaign in muslim dominated areas and he was able to convince them.. :))
@ G.Din'
Well saidJust for fun, aht is the situation in the villages of Pakistan, since we like to compete in every thing? Leave it to desis, even when there is a toilet they make it unusable. Don't believe me? go to the bathrooms in Forum Mall, Karachi! And this is mostly people aka burgers. I rather call these people budtameez jahil burgers who don't know how to use public bathrooms.
In an ideal world human waste should be used to make bio gas, technology is there not sure about the cost though.
Well done Narre.
If Jairam Ramesh so serious about this problem then why he is too late. It is not a political issue but a hygienic issue and every citizen is concerned.
Many years ago a Russian visited our country and on returning to Moscow he wrote "India is a land of open urinal point".
Even in metro cities public facility is felt and men, however, pass on urinals at some corner of road but what about women. The public facility, if available, then it is not at the suitable place.
All folks should follow Narre at their respective places for the sake of hygienic values.
This shows how women in India have a voice and on the other hand an example of true democracy in India. Can women in Pakistan dare to do such things? Our government should answer.
@Pakistani Agnostic: "No ill feelings towards our fellow Indian readers but i was a little bit stunned when i read that." None taken. Facts are facts and we are grateful to be nudged, reminded and shamed. This helps put a priority on it.
Amazing !!! so what are we going to do here for our villages in Pakistan ??
all due to education and better sense! good luck
60% of open defecations in the world?!! No ill feelings towards our fellow Indian readers but i was a little bit stunned when i read that.