Single-sex toilets will be made mandatory in all new public buildings under new government plans, reports claim.
The new rules will affect new office buildings, schools, hospitals and entertainment venues above a certain size, reports The Telegraph, in a bid to prevent public spaces from being built with only gender-neutral facilities.
The driving force behind the plans was Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, who is said to have seen the move approved by ministers last month.
The paper claims the Saffron Walden MP insisted it was both legal and “important” to provide separate spaces for men and women.
Ms Badenoch’s plans, due to be announced next week, follow a review led by former housing secretary Robert Jerrick, which reportedly came across concerns raised by women about reduced privacy and longer queues generated by neutrals. gender toilets.
The campaign group Fair Play for Women told the government single-sex facilities were at a “disadvantage” and that “many women and girls are unwilling to walk past urinals to get to cubicles in former male facilities”.
Meanwhile, a government source told the paper it was “vital” that women feel “safe and comfortable” when using public toilets and called for “greater emphasis on provision that is focused on dignity, privacy, tolerance and respect for all”.
The source continued: “These changes will halt the march of ‘one-size-fits-all’ and forced sharing of spaces – with an emphasis on ensuring privacy for all. It is a common sense approach that is inclusive for all.”
The rules will be adopted after a consultation in the autumn and will also apply to new or refurbished government buildings, the newspaper reported.
But sources also said Number 10 and other ministers were keen for the changes to apply to all buildings that operate as business premises.
It comes after a poll published in June this year found that four in 10 UK workers do not want their employer to introduce gender-neutral toilets – a number well below acceptance levels in other countries.
Add Comment