世界厕所日关注“平等与尊严”

Wednesday marks a day that highlights the importance of something we don't typically talk too much about, but is extremely significant in our lives. It's World Toilet Day. It raises awareness of a serious problem. That according to the UN, 2.5 billion people in the world still do not have access to proper sanitation, making it a global development priority.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, a person on average goes to the toilet two thousand and five hundred times per year.

And in total, that's where a person will spend 3 years of his or her life.

World Toilet Day is a global day of action to raise awareness of the importance of this basic necessity.

It also reminds people of the fact that billions of people do not have access to sanitary toilets, which creates serious health problems in many countries.

Doctors also talk of another issue of what people do on their restroom break, that could lead to intestinal diseases, loss of blood flow to the brain and more.

"There are those who see it as a chance for relaxing. Some people use toilets as smoking rooms, others bring their phones and are on them while crouching. Physically, this isn’t a good thing. If one often uses the toilet for too long, this bad habit could even cause problems like rectocele," Doctor Li Anxin, from 302 Military Hospital.

This year's World Toilet Day campaign looks at dignity and equality.

It draws attention to how poor sanitation can contribute to gender-based violence.

Around 1 billion people in the world relieve themselves in the open. Many women and girls often wait till it's dark, making them vulnerable to assault.

The campaign hopes to lower this number and reduce violence on women.

In addition, statistics show, women on average spend more than twice the time of men while using toilet.

But public facilities often provide the same quantity of toilets for both men and women.

"It is very inconvenient. There aren't enough toilets," says a woman.

"Sometimes we wait in lines outside the restroom until it’s time for class and the bell rings. So I have to leave with a full bladder, feeling so uncomfortable," says a woman.

Here in China, toilet construction standards stipulate that in public facilities, the toilets in the ladies' room should be at least 1.5 times more than that in the men's room.

But experts say it is still generally inadequate for the disabled, the elderly and women.