In spite of all kind of development the practice of open defecation is widespread in India. The problem of open defecation, poor sanitation and public health are important governance issues in developing country like India for ensuring human development index. The problem of poor sanitation has also significant impacts on the safety, well-being and educational prospects of women. The lack of access to a clean, safe toilet, especially during menstruation perpetuates risk, shame and fear. The most important factor is that the state does not provide adequate access to safe, secure and hygienic sanitation facilities to every household of the semi urban and rural areas. The abhorrent practice of open defecation has an important. gender dimension given the incidents of violence against women. The abhorrent practice of open defecation has an important gender dimension given the incidents of violence against women which includes sexual harassment, molestation, rape etc. The international human rights instruments appear to be quite potential in ensuring the enjoyment of many basic human rights including sanitation in post 2000 developments. In pursuance of this broad objective, the Government of India started number of initiatives in recent past in rural and urban context such as Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) and National Urban Sanitation Policy, 2008. Further, the existing legal regime governing open defecation and sanitation are relatively inadequate in India. As far as the gender aspect is concerned, the problem of violence against women very much linked with the problem of open defecation and sanitation. Therefore the existing legal framework partly deals the issues in context of criminal laws. Under this background the present article wishes to analyses the law and policy framework at international and national level relating to sanitation in order to guarantee the right to safety and security of women.

Keywords: Defecation; Violence; Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC);
National Urban Sanitation Policy.