In Karnataka, sanitation activist Archana K R has won a significant victory in her long-standing campaign for clean and usable toilets in government schools – a fight that highlights widespread neglect of basic hygiene infrastructure that affects girls’ education and dignity.
Through years of documentation, community engagement and public petitions, Archana’s efforts have compelled authorities to acknowledge the crisis and commit to action, drawing attention to inadequate funding, broken facilities and poor sanitation management in schools.
Her work underscores deep challenges in implementing sanitation programmes and the urgent need for sustained government accountability.
Fuelled by Experience: The Making of a Sanitation Activist
Archana K R, a social activist from Sakleshpur, Karnataka, first encountered the stark realities of sanitation inequality early in life. Growing up in a region where toilets were a rarity, her firsthand experiences with unsafe open defecation and unhygienic facilities shaped her later activism.
In her teenage years, she began documenting the condition of toilets across government schools in Karnataka – uncovering inadequate or neglected infrastructure, broken doors, lack of water and a failure to prioritise hygiene that often forced girls to avoid using school toilets altogether.
Her work included detailed surveys of more than 300 government schools and direct engagement with students, teachers and local communities.
Archana’s findings showed that sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities were insufficient and poorly maintained, contributing to absenteeism and dropout among adolescent girls.
Through Stand4SHE – her platform for Sanitation, Hygiene and Education – she also led awareness workshops on hygiene practices and students’ rights to dignified facilities.
Campaigns, Petitions and Official Response
Archana’s campaign went beyond documentation. She launched public petitions demanding increased funds for sanitation maintenance and clear accountability from authorities. Her persistent advocacy included engaging directly with policymakers through social media, prompting responses from state education officials.
For example, Karnataka’s School Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar personally acknowledged her concerns in tweets responding to her petitions, showing that activism can elicit governmental attention.
The drive for better toilets in government schools comes against the backdrop of systemic underfunding in school sanitation. Archana’s work highlighted how schools often receive limited maintenance funds- with allocations far below what is needed to ensure clean, functional toilets and menstrual hygiene management.
These issues are not unique to a few institutions: wider surveys have found similar trends across schools, where toilets become a low priority due to stretched budgets and competing expenses.
Recent Breakthrough: Cleaning Up School Toilets
In early 2026, Archana’s long fight bore visible fruit when government officials publicly committed to upgrading and cleaning toilets in Karnataka’s government schools, particularly focusing on facilities that affect girls most.
This breakthrough recognition, highlighted by major news outlets, is seen as validation of years of grassroots advocacy and evidence-based campaigns.
While the details of specific financial commitments and timelines are still emerging, authorities have acknowledged the problem and indicated a willingness to work with activists and communities to address sanitation gaps.
For many observers and school communities, this marks a pivotal moment – one that could improve school attendance, reduce dropouts among girls, and boost dignity and safety for students across the state.
What This Means for Girls and Schools
Sanitation in schools is more than an infrastructure issue – it is deeply tied to education equity and gender justice. Lack of usable toilets disproportionately affects adolescent girls, especially during menstruation, leading to disengagement from school and loss of learning opportunities.
Activists like Archana argue that addressing sanitation is essential to ensuring inclusive education and upholding students’ rights to a safe learning environment.
Her campaign adds a human voice to broader discussions about how sanitation programmes like the Swachh Bharat Mission have succeeded in expanding access, yet continue to struggle with maintenance and functional usability in real-world settings.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Archana’s journey from lived experience to public activism exemplifies how civic engagement can spotlight neglected but foundational public goods – in this case, school sanitation that directly affects students’ health, dignity and educational prospects.
Her success underscores the importance of sustained oversight, transparent resource allocation and meaningful community participation in governance.
India’s sanitation journey must move beyond numerical targets to uphold lived dignity and inclusivity. Only then can sanitation be truly transformative for all citizens, irrespective of gender, age or ability.
