Bauchi women register as pit toilet evacuators to promote hygiene
By Ahmed Ahmed
Not fewer than ten women in Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State have been officially registered to operate as pit toilet evacuators under the Pit Toilet Emptying Workers Association, Misau.
The initiative aims to enhance hygiene practices within households and reduce the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
The women joined forty male counterparts previously trained by WaterAid Nigeria, with funding support from DP-World, on modern solid waste management techniques.
Speaking during a demonstration session in Misau, the spokesman of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), Babayo Jarma, commended the women for choosing waste management over political activities, citing the economic benefits and social value of their new profession.
Jarma revealed that more women have shown interest in the venture, prompting WaterAid to plan a special training on waste management to empower women as hygiene ambassadors within their communities.
Also speaking, WaterAid’s representative and Programme Manager of the Women Development Association for Self-Sustenance (WODASS), Magaji Barde, described the project “Increasing Access to Sustainable, Climate-Resilient WASH for Women” as a success in empowering women in a male-dominated field.
Two of the new members, Aishatu Mohammed and Hafsat Abdu, expressed gratitude to WaterAid and BASEPA, saying they were inspired by the recognition and training opportunities that will enable them to promote sanitation, handwashing, and hygiene awareness in their communities.
