Shanti Devi, from Deeppura village in the Neem Ka Thana districtof Rajasthan, has witnessed the many evolving faces of India throughout her lifetime. When asked about her age, she replies with a thoughtful expression, “Teen saal, 80 baras.” At 83, she also embodies the changing status of women in our country. 

She was married young, just a few years after Independence. “I had to wake up early in the morning to relieve myself before dawn,” she recalled. “I was just a little girl, scared to venture out into the darkness, especially since the fields we used lay next to the village cremation grounds.” 

In the villages of India, women were forced to quietly navigate through the darkness before the sun rose and before the men emerged to find some privacy in open fields. These early morning rituals were inconvenient and humiliating, often leaving them vulnerable to ridicule, danger, and disease. 

Millions of women endured this daily indignity for decades, accepting it as part of life. The absence of a toilet in their homes had been more than an inconvenience—a symbol of oppression. Public scrutiny followed them, and lack of privacy eroded their self-respect. 

This widespread plight was finally confronted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first Independence Day speech in 2014, boldly addressed the lack of sanitation as a national crisis, especially for women. 

The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014. It was not just an ode to the father of the nation; it was a resolve to bring behavioural change in Indians. It quickly became the world’s largest sanitation drive, focusing on behavioural change and not just infrastructure. The profound sense of dignity and safety that came with this simple change was revolutionary. 

Over 12 crore toilets have been built across India, particularly in rural areas where women were most affected. These toilets didn’t just improve hygiene; they transformed lives.

The Swachh Bharat Mission not only restored dignity but also brought about a wave of social change. The vulnerability of open defecation, a major concern for women in rural areas, diminished, leading to a decrease in crimes against women.

Girls who had to drop schools due to lack of toilets were back in school. There was a spike in enrolment, particularly among girls, as 98% of government schools now have separate toilets for them under SBM’s Swachh Vidyalaya initiative. 

When PM Modi spoke about sanitation from the Red Fort, people were stunned. Until then, talking about toilets wasn’t just seen as trivial; it was outright taboo.

Sanitation is, however, not just about clean toilets—it’s also about clean lives. From Legacy Waste Management to Namami Gange Mission, the aim is to clear the long pending cleanliness issues and make India Swachh. 

The ripple effects of the SBM are visible in dramatic improvements in health outcomes across the country. Before SBM, over 60% of India didn’t have access to proper sanitation, contributing to high rates of infant mortality and infectious diseases. However, sanitation coverage increased dramatically with the construction of toilets, and health outcomes followed suit. 

Studies show that every 10% increase in access to sanitation leads to a one-point drop in infant mortality and over one per cent drop in Under-five child mortality. By 2020, India achieved fewer than 30 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, surpassing global benchmarks. A recent study in ‘Nature’ estimates that 70,000 infant lives are saved annually due to better sanitation, a significant achievement of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The impact has extended to maternal health as well, with the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in India declining from 384 in 2000 to 103 in 2020, while the global MMR still stands at 223. The combination of sanitation, clean water, and targeted healthcare initiatives such as PM Matru Vandana Yojana have improved prenatal and postnatal care even as women are now more empowered to take charge of their health and their children’s health. 

The construction of physical spaces for dignity and hygiene mirrored the dismantling of outdated mindsets that held back progress. The Prime Minister’s resolve on sanitation transcended even the taboo subject of menstrual hygiene. The government introduced Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins at just Rs. 1 per pad to make menstrual health products more affordable and accessible for women. Nearly 57 crore pads have been sold under this initiative. 

Practices like menstrual exile, once common in rural areas, have sharply declined, and even tribal communities are embracing new hygiene standards. These cultural shifts, led by local women, redefine living with dignity in modern India.

The Swachh Bharat Mission, apart from its social impact, also made immense economic sense for the poor and the marginalised. Families in Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages saved nearly Rs. 50,000 a year on health costs, and in urban areas, savings rose to over Rs. 60,000. The construction of sanitation facilities under SBM generated 7.5 million jobs, many of which were filled by women, contributing to their empowerment.

Swachh Bharat also became the bedrock for other transformative programs that further improved women’s lives. The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019, is built on the foundations laid by SBM, ensuring that clean water—a critical element for maintaining sanitation—is accessible in rural areas. Within five years, access to clean water increased fivefold, helping maintain essential hygiene practices like regular handwashing. The Government of India has combined the construction of ‘izzat ghars’ with the construction of homes in the name of women under PM Awas Yojana. Today, over 72% of homes under the scheme are owned by women, providing them with the security and respect they deserve.

India achieved 100% access to toilets in 2019 itself. Today, the country is home to over 5.5 lakh ODF+ villages, while its cities are embracing zero-waste strategies, emerging as models of sustainable living. At the heart of this transformation are the unsung heroes—sanitation workers and Swachhagrahis—who have driven this change from the ground up. From sweeping streets to building toilets, these individuals have been instrumental in creating cleaner surroundings and shifting deep-rooted perceptions of hygiene.

A key catalyst for this shift has also been Swachhata Pakhwada, a fortnight-long initiative encouraging Government and private organisations to take ownership of their surroundings. What began as a campaign has now evolved into a mindset. It has brought together people from all walks of life, from government officials and school children to corporate employees, in a shared commitment to cleanliness. There’s now a strong sense of pride in maintaining hygiene—not just in homes but also in public areas. Cities and villages are cleaner than ever, which has sparked healthy competition between regions to uphold cleanliness standards. 

Prime Minister Modi’s leadership set an example, showing that no task is too menial regarding nation-building. His visible commitment, whether through picking up a broom himself or honouring the contributions of sanitation workers, inspired a nationwide movement. Today, sanitation workers are no longer seen as invisible labourers; they are being celebrated as crucial agents of change, driving cleaner environments and healthier lives. 

Swacch Bharat Mission stands as a global example today, especially for the Global South, proving that hope can ignite change and, with decisive leadership, that hope can transform into a revolution.