'Saaf Bath' initiative to set up portable public toilets catering especially to women

In response to the abysmal state of public toilets in the country, the Salman Sufi Foundation (SSF) has launched a new project aimed at benefiting pedestrians, especially women, who do not have access to clean or safe public toilets in Pakistan.

According to a press release issued on Thursday, the foundation, under the Saaf Bath initiative, will set up portable public toilets in Lahore and Karachi during the first phase of the project by February 2020.

In order to do so, the SSF is partnering with several corporate companies so that portable toilets can eventually be installed in all major cities of the country, especially those areas with a large amount of female pedestrians, the statement added.

The restrooms, which will also be made accessible for the elderly and the differently-abled, will be maintained on a daily basis by the foundation's coordinating officers. Further, the foundation will also ensure hand sanitiser and ample water for the public, it read.

The pilot project is in line with the foundation's plan of initiating an overall health and sanitation campaign exclusively for women, the press release concluded.

According to a 2015 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pakistan was the third largest country where over 43 million people defecate openly.