According to the United Nations, 2.5 billion people - that's one in three - don't have access to proper sanitation, including toilets. And it's women and children who suffer the most as a result.
As a result, 526 million women have no choice but to go to the toilet in the open, putting them at risk of harassment and sexual assault when they go to dark places for privacy.
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Saumu, 54, lives in Kenya and has a toilet constructed from iron sheets. It is next to a well-constructed toilet, which she cannot use as she can’t afford the monthly charges.
To avoid this, many try to restrict how often they go to the toilet, which can lead to urine infections, constipation or stress.
Due to poor sanitation, around 44 million pregnant women have hookworm, a parasite that lives in the small intestine which is a serious health burden in developing countries.
And in Kenya, girls that have reached puberty miss nearly two months of learning every year, just because of having their periods. In some countries, few single-sex toilets in schools encourage to poor attendance rates among girls, damaging their changes in life.
To mark World Toilet Day, and call for change, an exhibition is on show in London at The Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, documenting women and girls with their toilets and showing how important this access is to their lives.
The revealing 'My Toilet' shots were taken by Panos Pictures, in partnership with Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP).
Toilets exhibition
Kenya(01 of10)
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Teressiah,18, lives in Nakuru with her aunt and grandmother. She helps to contribute by doing laundry work but otherwise the family rely on her uncle for basic provisions. Teressiah is pregnant so she needs to go the toilet more often than usual but as she doesn’t have a toilet at home, she uses her neighbour’s."I have to use a borrowed toilet. They bear with me because of my condition. At night it is dangerous to be outside, so I have to use a tin." (credit:Photography: Frederic Courbet)
Japan(02 of10)
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Yoko, 28, uses a public Powder Room and Bathroom at Shibuya Metro Station in Tokyo."I grew up and still live near this station. I always pass this bathroom when I need to take a train. Although Shibuya area is a busy place with many people, I feel like I can relax in this luxurious room."The toilets also provide a 'charging room' next to the toilet cubicles where you can sit and charge your mobile phone. (credit:Photography: Noriko HAYASHI)
Haiti(03 of10)
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Martine is 27 years old. She lives near a river in Cayimithe."I don't have an enclosed toilet. My toilet is a hole in the ground by my house, which is now full and has become really dangerous. I only use it at night when I can have some privacy. In the day time, I use a community toilet which is about 15 minutes away from my house." (credit:Photography: Shiho Fukada. Assisted by International Medical Corps UK)
India(04 of10)
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Geeta who lives in Katra, Uttar Pradesh, walks almost six kilometres every day, in the early morning and late evening, to go to the toilet in local fields. In May 2014 two girls in her local area left home to visit a nearby field that they used as a toilet. They were found dead the next day. They had been raped and were hanging from a tree. (credit:Photography: Atul Loke)
Romania (05 of10)
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Pana, 49, lives in Buzescu. Like almost half of the Romanian population, she lives in the countryside where there is no running water or sewerage supplied by the municipality. Pana has two toilets – one indoor and one outdoor. She lets only her nephews use the indoor toilet when they come to visit. Pana only uses the outdoor toilet, even during Romania’s bitterly cold winter. (credit:Photography: Petrut Calinescu WSUP - Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor)
Romania (06 of10)
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Ghita, 48, from Buzescu village, says she is the proud owner of one of the biggest bathrooms in the village. It is 20 square meters. 35% of the population of Buzescu village are Romas who are prosperous and proud to show it off. However, there is no running water or sewerage in the village so toilets are on-site. (credit:Photography: Petrut Calinescu)
Ethiopia(07 of10)
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Amy, a medical doctor, moved back to Ethiopia after spending 19 years in The Netherlands. She lives in the house she grew up in, which she has renovated."I’d like to set up an organization to help citizens of Addis Ababa have access to free roadside toilets. A lot of people are moving to the city and so the demand for toilets is growing. Currently people go to the toilet in the streets, which is very unhygienic." (credit:Photography: Petterik Wiggers)
Australia(08 of10)
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Renee is an artist who left her former home in the densely populated suburbs of Sydney to live a quieter life in bush surrounds, a one-hour drive north of the city. She has built a shed on ten acres of land and has included an outside toilet and bathroom. Ironically, Renee is able to enjoy total privacy out in the open as she is surrounded by wild bush and forest, far from other houses. (credit:Photography: Warren Clarke)
Zambia(09 of10)
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Alice, 48, is married with seven children and has lived in Lusaka for 15 years. She is unemployed, but sometimes does domestic housework in exchange for food. Alice used to have a toilet at home but it collapsed six years ago. Now her family use their neighbour's toilet."The toilet here is not good. It is full, and you can smell it from quite a distance. Sometimes I have to wait for a long time so instead we use a Shake-Shake."(Shake-Shake is a traditional beer. It comes in a carton, which is often used for defecation when a toilet can't be found) (credit:Photography: James Oatway)
USA(10 of10)
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Mary is a writer who lives in New York City."Living with two housemates, it is important to schedule our bathroom time and take turns cleaning it. I used to live in Beijing, where I had to use a public bathroom as my apartment didn't have a private toilet. While it was safe and relatively clean, I used to hate putting my coat on just to go to bathroom in the middle of night during winter. That experience made me really appreciate the privacy and comfort of having a clean toilet at home" (credit:Shiho Fukada WSUP - Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor)