A/HRC/33/49/Add.3 64. In 2010, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women urged the Government to pay special attention to the needs of rural women and women heads of households and ensure that they participated in decision-making processes and had full access to justice, education, health services and credit facilities. 21 Despite overall progress in development, the Special Rapporteur observed the same challenges, such as the lack of women’s participation in decision-making relating to water and sanitation and the disproportionate burden on women caused by the lack of access to water and sanitation. 65. Inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene in schools particularly affect girls. Some girls simply did not use the toilet in school because of the poor sanitation facilities and, often, the absence of menstrual hygiene management. The Special Rapporteur was informed that girls did not eat or drink water until they went home so that they would not have to use the toilet in school. One girl who he interviewed said that although there was a disposal service, it was difficult to manage menstrual hygiene without water in school. Menstrual hygiene management that ensures privacy and human dignity is an important, but often forgotten, component of the human rights to water and sanitation. VII. Conclusions and recommendations 66. Botswana is known as a success story of stable economic growth and development. It upholds the core human rights principles of equality and nondiscrimination in its Constitution, legislation and policies. However, in the shadow of the impressive progress made mainly in urban centres, there exists striking inequalities in access to water and sanitation in rural and remote areas, resettlements and poor urban settlements. People in transition from a nomadic to a settled life and women and girls suffer the lack of access to water and sanitation disproportionately. 67. In addition to geographic challenges, Botswana frequently experiences droughts and is expected to be increasingly affected by climate variability. At the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit, the country was experiencing an emergency situation with one of the worst droughts in its history. The Special Rapporteur was concerned that the lack of water resources was directly affecting continuous access to water and sanitation. 68. The Special Rapporteur is confident that Botswana, which has achieved rapid progress since its independence in 1966, has the capacity to reach out to all populations, particularly those in rural and remote areas, who have not equally benefited from such development, including in access to water and sanitation. Regardless of the delegation of water and sanitation services to a State-owned entity or local authorities, the primary obligation to realize the human rights for all rests on the national Government. 69. At the same time, the Government must continue to invest in sanitation and water services in order to guarantee affordable services for the poor and marginalized groups, whether directly or through local authorities and the Water Utilities Corporation. The good news is that water and sanitation services are known to be financially beneficial investments. 70. In order to address an extreme shortage of available water, such as in the case of the drought that prevailed at the time of his visit, the Special Rapporteur recalls that the State obligation to use the maximum available resources includes international cooperation. On the one hand, the Government should identify its needs 21 18 See CEDAW/C/BOT/CO/3, para. 40. GE.16-12031