World Toilet Day

Celebrated on 19 November every year, World Toilet Day aims to inspire action to confront the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which promises sanitation for all by 2030. Established by the World Toilet Organisation in 2001, World Toilet Day was made an official UN day in 2013. UN-Water leads a taskforce of international agencies to campaign around a common theme.

On 21 November 2018, the Chief Executuve of WaterAid UK, Tim Wainwright (1982) visited Cambridge to address the Union in recognition of World Toilet Day, which aims to draw attention to the fact that almost one in four people around the world do not have access to a decent toilet.

Tim spoke about how water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental to any progress in global development, and explained WaterAid's strategy to transform lives by ensuring that everyone everywhere can access lasting services. Tim also addressed members of the Trinity Politics Society on the work that WaterAid is doing around the world to ensure that women and girls have the services they need to manage their periods safely, privately, and with dignity.

Students interested in getting involved with WaterAid can volunteer as a WaterAid Student Ambassador, or set up a WaterAid Society at Cambridge to learn important skills, meet like-minded people, and gain valuable experience for life after university, all whilst helping to tackle the global water and sanitation crisis. If you are interested in discovering more, please email universities@wateraid.org.