Woloo is an Indian startup company whose loo-discovery mobile app helps women to locate nearest clean, safe and hygienic public washrooms.

The app, which is available on Android devices and is coming soon to IOS, helps women locate the nearest washroom when they are away from their home or office.

While approximately 13% of the world’s female population lacks access to toilets, studies have put that number closer to 50% in India. Even though women comprise more than 48% of the Indian population, lack of access to such facilities remains a problem.

Finding a usable toilet in public spaces can be a challenge for women of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Whether in urban or rural areas, Indian women who do not have access to a private toilet generally need to postpone going the loo until after dark due to social convention. Sadly, this also means they at greatest risk of being attacked, sexually assaulted, or robbed. For example, in the State of Delhi, 70% of sexual assaults take place when women leave their houses to defecate in the open.

Every Woloo-enabled washroom follows a standard protocol to ensure safety, cleanliness, and hygiene, which is based on a guideline developed by the Toilet Board Coalition, a global nonprofit enterprise, and the Woloo Assurance of Hygiene based on safety, hygiene, and accessibility parameters.

Woloo maintains more than 1,500 washrooms across Mumbai, with plans to expand to Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Bangalore.

“Woloo’s mission is to provide hygiene dignity to a diverse group of women of all ages in India,” said Woloo founder and chief executive Manish Kelshikar.

Woloo, which opened its first facility on November 19, 2019 – World Toilet Day – says its mission is to provide world-class access to hygiene facilities for women of all ages and diversities across India. The startup intends to expand city by city across India. Starting with maintaining and certifying over 1,500 ladies’ toilets across Mumbai, Woloos will soon be available in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Bangalore.

And that is not the end, it is just the beginning!