Almost every day of the year is dedicated to something special. We celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and April Fool’s Day. Most people, however, are not familiar with World Plumbing Day and World Toilet Day.
(Pixabay / AnotherLeaf)
Yes, that’s right, these are actual holidays. The two days are celebrated months apart, but they both hearken back to the humble bathroom. Bathrooms may be taken for granted in the Western world, but they remain a luxury in many parts of the globe. People living in poorer and underdeveloped countries do not have access to this important facility, leading to serious health and environmental implications. The absence of bathrooms with running water has been associated with diseases and mortality, especially among children and infants.
The United Nations and other international and humanitarian agencies have launched many projects to bring clean bathroom facilities to all corners of the world. The objective is to introduce sanitary practices that will keep people free of diseases and help protect the environment.
World Plumbing Day was first celebrated on March 11, 2010. It has become a yearly observance to raise the profile of the plumbing industry and make proper bathroom facilities a reality for people of all countries. The observance is spearheaded by the World Plumbing Council, which aims to lift sanitation conditions throughout the world. They seek to address problems in developing countries that have non-existent or insufficient plumbing.
World Toilet Day is celebrated on November 19. The objective of the celebration is to provide working toilets to the 2.4 billion people who are still living without them. Toilets are critical to the sanitation and health of the population. Sanitation has become a global development priority. The hope is to ensure that every living person has access to toilets by the year 2030.
The United Nations and its partner organizations hope that in meeting this objective, they will improve health and protect people’s safety and dignity, particularly that of girls and women.