The change comes amid dignity and privacy concerns from women and elderly people who feel they are being unfairly disadvantaged as publicly accessible toilets are increasingly being converted into gender neutral facilities.
Concerns over the rise of neutral gender facilities has meant that public have been forced to share cubicle and hand-washing facilities, leading to increasing waiting in shared queues, decreased choice and a limitation on privacy and dignity for all.
New regulations and guidance will mean women, who may need to use facilities more often because of pregnancy or sanitary needs, will now be guaranteed appropriate facilities either through a separate single-sex space or through a self-contained, private toilet.
In addition to single sex toilets becoming the default and minimum for new non-residential buildings and places undertaking major refurbishment, the guidelines will encourage the consideration of self-contained toilets, which are a fully enclosed toilet room with a wash hand basin for individual use.
Kemi Badenoch MP. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
The changes will be made through building regulations and guidance. The aim of the new requirements will ensure that:
- Separate single-sex toilets facilities are provided for men and women; and/or
- Self-contained, private toilets are provided where space allows to ensure privacy and safety;
- Mixed sex shared facilities are not an option, except when lack of space allows only a single toilet
The UK Government has previously stated, however, that it has no authority to ban so-called gender neutral toilets outright.
Main Image: By AxelBoldt (talk · contribs) – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46682644
————————————————————————————————————————————
Follow EU Today on social media:
Twitter: @EU_today
@EU_sports
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EUtoday.net/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/968799359934046
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eutoday1049
