Girls miss out on school!

Girls are affected when there isn’t any water for miles because it is usually girls who have to go and fetch it which often means they don't go to school.  They also tend to have the responsibility of caring for sick relatives but if they are out for a long time getting water they can’t do this.  With the rise of HIV/AIDS in a lot of countries, this affects many families.  Also, many children get sick because of poor hygiene, water and sanitation, which means there are even more people to care for.

Another reason why sanitation affects girls from getting an education is that schools might not have any toilets, which is a problem for teenage girls especially.

When girls and women have to go outdoors because they don’t have a toilet or latrine, they usually wait until it is dark so that no-one sees them.  This can be painful for women and girls as they might have a long wait, and it is also not safe for them to walk to fields at night time.