A/HRC/42/47 of their stalls. One study found that, as a result, all the traders interviewed suffered from nearly constant diarrhoea.42 Equally, a lack of safe, potable water means that traders must often either resort to using unsafe water to clean utensils and foodstuffs, or simply not use water at all, both of which practices have the potential to contaminate food with dangerous pathogens, thus increasing the likelihood of the vendors and their customers falling ill. 43 In Taiwan, food traders in night markets are often not provided with potable water for cleaning, meaning they are forced to use only paper towels to clean themselves and their equipment, which has been identified as potentially increasing the risk of food-borne illnesses being spread to customers.44 E. Acceptability, privacy and dignity 51. In the context of access to water and sanitation in public spaces, the provision of facilities that meet the requirements of acceptability, privacy and dignity means that they must be designed, constructed and maintained in ways that conform to the personal and cultural needs of users. Many communities and cultures have particular and important norms regarding sanitation practices and these can vary between and within cultures. Accordingly, determining how to provide culturally acceptable water and sanitation facilities in public spaces may require States to engage in meaningful consultations with target populations regarding their requirements. Privacy and dignity should always be ensured, in particular by considering the needs of vulnerable and marginalized users, including women and people who are transgender, when determining the design of water and sanitation facilities in public spaces. 52. Failure to provide public facilities which meet the cultural needs of users and which ensure that they are provided with privacy and dignity can minimize usage by groups who feel unsafe as a result. This was seen in the Indian state of Telangana, where despite the city authorities in Warangal increasing the number of public toilets and bathing facilities available to women, actual use was considerably lower than expected. As a result, the authorities interviewed 197 local women, including 21 from diverse backgrounds, regarding their opinions of the facilities, their specific needs and their preferences. Many of the women found the facilities to be inappropriately located, had men in or around the entrances, causing distress, or had male caretakers. The interviews determined that women wanted features such as women-only blocks, access from main thoroughfares and a choice between squat and seat toilets. These conclusions were used to design and construct new facilities that were specific to the needs of the women in the area. 45 V. Interlinkages with other human rights 53. The well-acknowledged indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of human rights are strongly demonstrated in the context of access to water and sanitation in public spaces. Where the rights to water and sanitation are not adequately respected, protected and fulfilled within public spaces, significant negative impacts on the enjoyment of other rights can be seen.46 42 43 44 45 46 14 See Laura Alfers, “Occupational health and safety for market and street traders in Accra and Takoradi, Ghana” (December 2009). See Sally Roever, “Informal economy monitoring study sector report: street vendors” (April 2014); and Sohel Ahmed and others, “Cooking up a storm: community-led mapping and advocacy with food vendors in Nairobi’s informal settlements”. Yi-Mei Sun, Shu-Tai Wang and Kuo-Wei Huang, “Hygiene knowledge and practices of night market food vendors in Tainan City, Taiwan”, Food Control, vol. 23, No. 1 (January 2012). See WaterAid, “Female-friendly public and community toilets: a guide for planners and decision makers”. See Priscila Neves-Silva, Giselle Isabelle Martins and Léo Heller, “Human rights’ interdependence and indivisibility: a glance over the human rights to water and sanitation”, BMC International Health and Human Rights, vol. 19 (2019).