Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of girls’ urinals : final report : sustaining and scaling school water, sanitation, and hygiene plus community impact

Improving the appeal of school sanitation facilities for pupils may not only be a means to reduce open defecation or urination at school, but it may also improve students’ self esteem and the appeal of attending school. Since September 2006, SWASH+ has been working in primary schools in three districts in Nyanza Province - gathering and analyzing data, learning about challenges, and testing innovations for school water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). In February 2009, the Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO) constructed girls’ urinals in three schools in Kenya’s Nyanza Province. Findings in this report have been divided into three main categories including: infrastructure, logistics and socio-cultural factors. Sub-headings appear beneath broader themes. Overall, this research found that urinals are popular with primary school-aged girls. Barring excessive messes or odours, female students report using the urinal an average of two times a day. Sustainability of the facilities was discussed by health patrons as a challenge. A particularly interesting finding involved young girls’ penchant for mirrors in urinals. A special section of this report is devoted to findings related to mirrors. Levels at which an intervention could consider improving girls urinals or facilities generally will be addressed on several levels including: programmatic, community, teacher/school staff, family, student levels. [authors abstract]

This is a SWASH+ -output.