Crikey, is this really a big problem?

I’ve seen scant little indication of it in Australia.

I’ve visited lots of crowded beaches this summer, in Sydney and all over southeastern Australia. Loos seem to be quite adequate. No queues to be seen!

Sure, at particular events which draw big crowds, the loos may not be up to the task, especially when everyone wants to go at once in breaks in the proceedings. But the same applies equally for men as for women in these circumstances.

Years ago at WA University I experienced a unisex loo, which has numerous cubicles and lots of people going in and out. I was quite taken aback as I walked in the door and a couple of young women came out, but they quickly assured me that it was ok to go in. This is the only time I have seen this, although you do see a few single-cubicle unisex loos around the place here and there.

I reckon there should be a lot more of this sort of sharing. It would certainly help to break down sex discrimination or the perception thereof…and if women happen to see men at the urinal and get a look at that most male part of the anatomy, well so what, in this day and age!

Another day, another "cause".

Surely, if this were a significant problem, there are sufficient women in Australia to make enough noise that something would be done about it?

Are they a minority group? Hardly. Do they vote? Um, yes, I believe they do. Do they have a voice, can they speak up for themselves, are they on local councils, do they wield "purchasing power"... of course; all of the above.

Instead of witnessing a get-up-and-go [sorry] attitude to solving the problem, we are subjected to the protracted moan of the apparently-powerless.

"Although culture and physiology do play a part, the major problem is not that women need lavatories more often than men, nor that women spend longer in cubicles than men, whether for men in cubicles or at urinals. The major problem is that urinals take less space and women do not urinate standing up."

Hold on a minute [sorry]. Surely, the "major problem" is, quite specifically, physiological. And in my experience, it is a well-known fact that women do need lavatories more often than men, and that they do spend longer in cubicles.

I can well understand that there may be a shortage, due to the combination of all these factors. And it is generally true that in, say, office buildings and shopping malls, pretty much the same floor area is allocated to each gender.

But I doubt very much that there are too many readers here who can do anything more about it, than the author herself can.

Whatever happened to the women's movement? [sorry]

...You have a very risqué view of toilets Ludwig!

This has to be a wind up.

OK I'll bite

'women do not urinate standing up'

Um, yes they do. I have witnessed this on multiple occasions; Women entering the men's toilet and peeing in the urinal.

They just generally choose not to.

Incidentally, I find it amusing that its considered here some brave 'reclaim the toilets' for women to invade men's private lavatories, but I'd wager it would be considered some kind of aggressive misogynistic act if those men dared do the same.

' this is not an inconsequential nor a trivial concern.'

I agree. It's at the forefront of feminist issues. There is just so little else left to complain about.

'women are more likely to take responsibility for changing babies and toddlers' nappies, as well as taking older children to the lavatory.'

Where do you live man. Family rooms abound in all but the oldest shopping malls. I look forward to the dirty looks I sometimes get from some women when I bring my girls in there. Seems they feel it's either inappropriate or some kind of invasion of their womanly world.

' Australian women – deserve it.'
They deserve more toilet space than men just for being women or they deserve equal urinals so they can stand up while they pee? If it's the latter watch for the next feminist inspired outcry about women being forced to stand up to pee.

Sit down girls, you're worth it!

Hee hee....fancy this terrible state of affairs existing - and me not being aware of it.

Gawd! - is there no sphere of the interplay between males and females that is not fair game for some kind of feminist whinge.

I think this takes the biscuit for THE most ridiculous feminist article I have ever read. And I've read some doozies.

It has to be a wind up.

I so hope it's serious though. I cant wait to trot this one out again and again.

Can anyone confirm whether this is the career defining essay of Jocelynne, or some sort of parody? I hope it gets read in gender studies courses around the world.

I'm surprised that none of you have noticed the queues outside female toilets. It's actually a serious issue and I have no idea why it hasn't been addressed in building codes, let alone designs.

Is there a centre for male studies? I often have to ask my wife to steal a little paper from the ladies so I can use the men's. This is really unjust. Are their not any barister men with the time to go in and bat for us? I can't also work out why my wife insists on having the seat down. Is this something they teach in assertion classes?

I once worked in a place where there was one loo, and one loo only for both genders to use between about 30 staff.

Some Indian women are using the country's tough anti-dowry laws to frame innocent men.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/money-for-nothing-20120409-1wl2q.html#ixzz1rc19PX32

Well there's more than one way to skin a cat Graham.

I suggest timers on the stall doors. It cant take that much longer for a woman to open a door, remove pants and sit down as it does for men to open fly and unwind the one eyed trouser snake. Men have normally drunk a lot more pints than women have wines - which are significantly less in volume BTW, so the actual urination would take longer for men.

And as I said, imagine the outcry if women were expected to stand, no matter what the design of the urinal. And it would be 'icky'!

Why should women deserve more privacy while taking a leak, or more comfort?

In this user-pays world, I think women should pay for the superior cleanliness of their toilets, and the luxury of sitting down.

See, it's of no advantage in being male in going to the toilet, it's just that men are more pragmatic and less fussy. Women can choose the odd bit of dribble, to stand in a bit of pee, to keep eye contact while they discuss important issues next to a stranger with their privates exposed. As I said, women are physically capable of standing up to pee, even in urinals designed for men.

There is no physiological reason why they cant. They're just precious.

I think men should become more precious, and require a high pressure bidet next to each toilet (porcelain recliner), as we eat more meat and less fibre, and have bigger and sloppier turds in general. It's a cultural and physiological difference that should be catered for, and the men of Australia are worth it!

Also, as men for some reason see the need to piss and even defecate all over the seat, floor and vomit in the sinks etc, we need to have our toilets cleaned more often.

And remember, we also need extra room for more wipe-on sex appeal vending machines.

Here we were quietly going about our Easter reflections only to discover that Jesus was not the only one capable of turning water into a whine.

I am shocked to be unaware of this critical feminist tissue. So men aren't alone in needing a hand to go to the toilet?

In continents other than Australia it seems not to be a problem. I am surprised at GrahamY's loitering around noticing queues at female toilets, though.

Even if there were the provision of female urinals I suspect Ms. Scutt would not stand for it.

Fortunately, these days you can almost always find a disabled toilet – almost never occupied – and it comes with all that useful extra leg room. A hint though… If you're noticed leaving just affect a severe limp until you're out of sight.

WmTrevor,

"In continents..."

Ha! : )

Solution: make public water closets unisex. A little stick-man on the door next to every stick-woman and a stick-woman next to every stick-man. Hey presto! You have just effectively doubled the amount of toilet space in Australia without spending a cent on new infrastructure.

Cheers,

Tony

I fear some posters here are just 'taking the piss' (hurrumph).

I found the article both illuminating and entertaining, as well as somewhat serious. In some things equality demands probity - everyone deserves a fair go, after all, and discretion is the better part of valour.

I must admit though, that I have not noted any particular shortage of facilitation in Aus. I would stand up for women's rights though, for fear of an invasion of privy!

Good article and a nice piece of cultural analysis too.

The architecture of buildings reflects the architecture and structure of our lives and the importance that we place on function.

It's so blatantly clear that women's toilets are so few and far between at sporting grounds and in the CBD, that there's a kind of Victorian prudishness at work. Or maybe, as per Jonathon Swift's poem, they don't wish to conceive of women going to the toilet.

The kind of juvenilia typed here by blokes as commentary is faintly reminiscent of the tee-hee locker room humor of boys who are trapped in the anal stage of development. They are floaters.

I agree with Ludwig.

Very few men today would mind if a woman came in their toilet and used a urinal. I even suspect that most men would feel more comfortable with a woman at the next urinal than with another man there. Those few shy men who do require privacy may use the men's cubicles.

So solution is simple - open up men's toilets to women.

Well it seems that there's nothing funny about toilet humour… for some

So the only equitable thing to do would be to ban urinals and only provide WC stalls in all public architecture, buildings and construction.

Then we can have an informed discussion that a cubicle ratio of 2:1 in favour of women is self-evidently not 'potty parity' nor is the idea that it is, amusing.

Surely our society has moved beyond the time when judges and cleaners are allocated separate toilets?

Well said Saltpetre! Illuminating and a fair enough matter to be taken seriously. Unisex toilets would appear to be a common sense solution and I also have observed the women's que's at sport and other high volume venues. I have a 'unisex' loo at home!!

Women can too pee standing up! If I weren't suitably equpipped I would be getting one of these for sure...

http://www.shewee.com/

Love your sense of humour WmTrevor.

Gotta applaud the diverse range of articles on OLO. Methinks the shortage of toilets is the fault of economic rationalism.

Definitely a plot by those incontinence pad companies for sure.

And, pelican, given the ageing demographic of Australia's population, there are other looming issues…

Where for example do ileostomates and colostomates stand in all of this?

Though to be fair, for some it is a condition where you can hand someone else the bag and they can go to the toilet for you.

WmTrevor perhaps therein your wise words lies the answer. No need for queues at all.