What is World Toilet Day?

You might be wondering, is World Toilet Day actually an international observance? Well, yes, World Toilet Day is marked annually on 19 November. It sounds funny, but the reality is that 3.4 billion people still live without access to safe sanitation or toilet facilities. That’s more than half the world’s population. 

We celebrate World Toilet Day in order to bring awareness to the idea that a simple toilet can make an enormous improvement to the lives of vulnerable children and communities. 

On World Toilet Day, we want to tell you more about the observance, its significance and how you can get involved. Read on for your guide to World Toilet Day! 

Who invented the toilet? 

Latrines have been used for thousands of years to dispose of human waste with various forms, including those used by the Romans, being more sophisticated than others. A latrine is very simple, usually a pit or a trench, whereas a toilet is a fixed receptacle which can easily be flushed out to dispose of waste.

The first flushable toilet was invented by English courtier Sir John Harrington in 1596. He described a 60-centimetre-deep oval waterproofed bowl, fed water from above by a cistern. Flushing this toilet required 3.8 litres of water to be poured into the bowl, which would drain the waste into a sewer below. 

Toilets, as we know them today, were first manufactured by the English plumber Thomas Crapper, who invented the ballcock in the 19th century. The tank-filling mechanism is still used in all our toilets when we flush. 

While Crapper didn’t invent the toilet, it was his addition to the toilet that revolutionised the way we manufacture and use sanitation facilities, as well as their potential to improve health and quality of life for those who use them. It is this “toilet” that we now associate with the term. 

When was World Toilet Day first observed? 

World Toilet Day was first observed in 2001 after Singaporean philanthropist Jack Sim established the day to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis and encourage action to improve access to safe sanitation facilities.

The importance of sanitation was further recognised internationally in 2010, when the United Nations declared access to safe water and sanitation a basic human right.

Today, Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for universal access to adequate sanitation and hygiene, including systems that safely manage and process waste.

What is the significance of World Toilet Day and why is it observed?

With 3.4 billion people worldwide without access to safe sanitation facilities, lacking access to safe sanitation facilities, the world is facing a global sanitation crisis. While World Toilet Day may seem unusual at first, the observance plays an important role in raising awareness and encouraging action to address this issue.

World Toilet Day highlights the importance of safe sanitation in protecting health, preventing the spread of disease and improving quality of life. It also encourages discussion around the sustainable development of sanitation systems, including the responsible use of water resources and the impacts of climate change.

The power of toilets to transform lives and communities

When Mr. Tu and his wife first married, they could only afford a small wooden house with no toilet or bathroom. Living in a remote commune in Ngan Son District, Vietnam, they faced significant challenges in maintaining hygiene, especially with two young children. Without proper sanitation, the risk of health issues, including gastrointestinal diseases, was a constant concern.

Determined to make a change, Mr. Tu became the first in his community to build a low-cost septic tank toilet with support from ChildFund Vietnam. This simple but life-changing improvement has made it much easier for the family to maintain good hygiene. Along with education on the benefits of septic toilets and handwashing with soap, their health and hygiene have improved dramatically.

Now, Mr. Tu is helping spread the word. He’s working with the village head to share the toilet-building method with other families. This WASH initative project has already helped 15 other households, improving hygiene, reducing health risks, and raising awareness of the importance of sanitation.

How to get involved in World Toilet Day

Getting involved in World Toilet Day is simple, and there are many ways to take part. We’ve put together a few ideas to help you get started, but we also encourage you to bring your own creativity and take it further.

1. Raise awareness on social media

Social media is a great way to start conversations. There are a number of ways you can engage your network around World Toilet Day:

• Share a photo of your toilet on Twitter with an informative caption about World Toilet Day, and add the hashtag #WorldToiletDay (remember to close the lid!)
• Start a poll on Facebook asking your network if they know how many people don’t have access to safe sanitation facilities
• Comment on content shared by the United Nations about World Toilet Day during the observance
• Tag friends in posts on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram that share facts about World Toilet Day

2. Educate yourself and others

World Toilet Day is a good opportunity to learn more about safe sanitation facilities and share that knowledge with others. Explore documentaries, videos, podcasts and articles on the topic.

Once you have built a strong foundation, you could organise a World Toilet Day trivia session as a team activity at work, or as a game with friends.

3. Donate and help create a ripple effect

Many organisations are working to provide communities with the water and sanitation they need to improve health outcomes for children and families.

At ChildFund Australia, we have a range of ways you can get involved. From supporting WASH initiatives on a regular basis or choosing to give back through our range of charity gifts, which includes the option to donate a deepwater borehole system. This contributes towards the drilling, construction and maintenance of a solar-powered water system. The result? A entire community has access to clean water, which is an important first step towards safe sanitation.

Make a difference this World Toilet Day

World Toilet Day isn’t just about toilets. It’s about the role toilets play in keeping each and every one of us healthy, and improving global access to safe sanitation facilities. We recommend that you have fun with this observance, get yourself and others involved, and express gratitude for something as simple as having a toilet.