Where Do You Go When You Gotta Go? | Dr. Marakie Tesfaye | TEDxLogan Circle
Where do you go when nature calls? For millions of women worldwide, the answer involves a logistical nightmare that poses threats to their dignity, health, and safety. Marakie Tesfaye exposes how inadequate sanitation is a powerful form of gender inequality. For countless women, the simple act of using a toilet is an act of bravery. Marakie argues that toilets aren’t just infrastructure; they’re a battleground for power, safety, and freedom — and that solving the problem means treating “where we go” as a feminist issues. Dr. Marakie Tesfaye is an advocate for women's rights and dignity with a background in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. As the founder of Jegnit Ethiopia, she addresses systemic barriers in sanitation and menstrual equity. Her initiatives include Birqe, a dignity kit distributed to over 50,000 Ethiopian students and displaced women, and Kebelo, which modernizes water-fetching. She also developed Mechot, an app locating clean public toilets, and hosted Gwadegna, a national TV show on sanitation. A PhD candidate, Marakie's research examines how inadequate sanitation affects Ethiopian women's dignity and health. Her advocacy successfully pushed the Ethiopian government to remove taxes on sanitary pads. She is also recognized for Patriarchy 101, her viral TikTok Live series, and her upcoming book, 'Holding It In'. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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