Abstract
Water and sanitation has become a highly contentious issue since the COVID-19 Pandemic. South Africa has a reputation for being one of the most unequal countries in the world. The education sector is one of those sectors where inequality is perpetuated. South Africa has a history of Apartheid, separate education through the Bantu education laws, was enforced. This has an effect on the way education is structured today. Infrastructure in public schools is still inferior as opposed to private schools. This includes water, sanitation and hygiene. Many schools in South Africa do not have adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities or they do not have them at all. This research paper discusses the impact this has on girls and in turn their educational outcomes. Agential Power Theory is used to describe the relationship between government institutions and students. It prescribes that students do not have the power to change their material conditions but together reaching out to organisations like equal education they can communicate their needs and level the playing field. The findings go on to show that the lack of water and sanitation in schools has a negative impact on adolescent girls. The paper concludes that water, sanitation and hygiene have a psychological impact on girl children which causes them to stay away from school and thus has an impact on their educational outcomes.