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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Evidence that women generally prefer single sex lavatories.

41 replies

aliasundercover · 04/10/2019 23:32

Hello
I'm discussing this with someone. I said women generally prefer single sex. They asked me if I'd ever seen any evidence of this.

I had to admit I hadn't, but I thought I could find some. I think a weakness of spending time here is we begin to assume what we read and believe is true without actual evidence.
Anecdotally I know this is true from speaking to many women, but does anyone have a survey or poll that demonstrates it?
Thanks

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 04/10/2019 23:45

Has the person your discussing this with offered any evidence that women don't prefer single sex loos?

Original poster
aliasundercover · 04/10/2019 23:49

:)
No, and it was a little unfair they way it was sprung on me - up until then no citation was required.
However, it was me who made the assertion, and I'd like to be able to back it up

I thought it would be easy to find evidence, but the internet hasn't helped me so far. I was hoping that as this is something that's often discussed here someone might actually have a link to some research.

OP posts:
Yeahnahyeah · 05/10/2019 00:09

I can't remember which women's group, but yes they did a crowd sourced survey on this showing most prefer single sex.

Notably, it was different from other polls in that it explained how most trans women have not had, nor intend to get sex reassignment surgery. Which surprised a lot of people.

Most other polls do not explain this, so results are often skewed.

I thought it was WomenScotland but can't find it. I'll have a snuffle.

bd67th · 05/10/2019 01:41

views-voices.oxfam.org.uk/2017/11/unused-toilets/ details the safety implications of unsafe toilets in refugee camps.
"Location is one of the most important issues for women and men, both during the day and at night. Not only in terms of where the latrine or bathing facility is located in the camp, but also where the women’s facility is relative to the men’s. "

Likewise www.womensrefugeecommission.org/empower/resources/practitioners-forum/facts-and-figures mentions that latrines are meant to be separate and lockable to protect women and girls from rape.

Women and girls don't like being raped, so it's a given that we prefer loos that protect us from attack and voyeurism.

bd67th · 05/10/2019 01:42

TBH it's one of those things that no one will have formally researched because it's so fucken obvious.

Oldrockman · 05/10/2019 07:09

I read a couple of things that gave the reason for segregated toilets being a thing was due to a fair number of sexual assaults/rapes in public toilets. This was as I recall in the Victorian era maybe just before, but the concern was there that it was decided that stopping men sharing the space with women was a good idea. I am sorry I lost the links to this years ago but it may be worth searching out though it was a set of links on a comment page so may not come up on search engines.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 05/10/2019 07:27

It's like asking for evidence that people prefer the seat not to have been pissed on though. Nobody has done a study because it's like asking "do you prefer your food to taste good or bad?"

failingatlife · 05/10/2019 07:36

Does the UN not recommend that women have access to single sex facilities?

OrchidInTheSun · 05/10/2019 07:46

www.panos.co.uk/photography-projects/my-toilet/

This photo essay highlights the importance of single sex toilets for women.

Cegbee · 05/10/2019 07:51

Yes because I prefer not going having to go in a toilet that smells of piss and sit on a toilet seat that has been left up or pissed on. Yet another way that 'equality' is to the detriment of women.

RiotAndAlarum · 05/10/2019 07:59

Reactions to the Old Vic "gender-neutral" (= mixed sex) facilities which they've just so proudly unveiled, should give you some evidence, OP. Wink Loads of women saying they don't feel comfortable going to a room with urinals, so all that's happened is that people who can pee standing up have got access to even more cubicles, plus urinals, whereas people who have to pee sitting down, and/or who have periods still have to queue, all the seats now might have pee on them, etc. That's the minimum of the complaints.

HermioneWeasley · 05/10/2019 08:00

Show them this photo from France (remembering that apparently all toilets on the continent are mixed sex and we’re just prudes) - option of mixed sex or women’s toilets. Women still prefer to queue for the single sex option.

Evidence that women generally prefer single sex lavatories.
ChickenyChick · 05/10/2019 08:04

If it is single toilet cubicles (no urinals) I often go to the mens, as I get cross about queueing Grin

I am all for mixed if it solves queues!

pepperup · 05/10/2019 08:11

What was particularly outrageous about the Old Vic (I’m a Friend and a regular) was they fundraised to increase the wholly inadequate number of ladies’ loos then unveiled something completely different - mixed sex with/without urinal Hmm. The rather hipper Young Vic has operated this for a while and of course no women go near the urinal but anyone is welcome to come and go into what was the ladies. And this is meant to be fairer for all Hmm

Campervan69 · 05/10/2019 08:22

This is the crowdfunder poll

twitter.com/helenstaniland/status/1055128928174641153?s=19

Women Ask Questions commissioned privately crowd-funded research into gender identification with @PopulusPolls

Full results on fileshare: t.co/L9odRbxt2h

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 05/10/2019 08:35

Show them this photo from France (remembering that apparently all toilets on the continent are mixed sex and we’re just prudes)

In all my travels around other European countries the only time I have encountered mixed sex loos was at remote campsites while trekking the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland.

I would suggest bringing up the information on school girls avoiding mixed sex toilets where they have been introduced, including not drinking all day and staying home during their periods. Maybe that will get through to your friend.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/unisex-toilets-period-shaming-sexual-harassment-schools-girls-womens-voices-wales-a8784226.html

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 05/10/2019 08:59

What bd67th said. I actually think that anyone who thinks if there's no "evidence " of this it isn't true is just a fucking idiot, frankly.

Personally if I had no choice but to use a mixed sex facility I might but I would feel very uncomfortable. I absolutely would not want DD 11 to especially as she's at the age where she's starting to go shopping etc on her own with friends.

FancyRibbon · 05/10/2019 09:23

Has anyone ever heard a woman say that men are what’s missing from their toilets? Hmm

Also agreeing that a lot of this is stating the obvious- we don’t need research to show that women don’t want to have to happen in on men pissing, shitting, wanking and especially because some men are not particular about closing or locking the doors Hmm accidentally, or on purpose.

Men that I work with have told us all about the other male colleagues who never wash their hands after using the men’s, showing a total selfish lack of hygiene.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 05/10/2019 09:33

There should be some sort of alarm that beeps if someone tries to leave the toilet without washing their hands. And then goes and touches the communal coffee machine, etc.

catwithnohat · 05/10/2019 09:41

While on the subject of men peeing on toilet seats, there are women that quite easily seem to manage to do the same thing (despite having completely different plumbing). There are also women who have completely filthy toilet habits like smearing blood on the walls, leaving wet hand towels on the floor etc.

This in buildings tenanted by professionals and you would like to think people who should better.

That's bad enough without introducing a different gender/sex into the mix.

Figureof80 · 05/10/2019 09:43

gem-report-2017.unesco.org/en/chapter/gender_recommendations/

en.unesco.org/news/what-makes-good-classroom-new-uis-data-school-conditions

Links above to 2017 Unesco Global Education Monitoring Report and 2019 UIS data which identify that single sex toilets are a key factor in achieving gender equality in education.

Why are single sex facilities recognised as vital for girls in developing countries and not in our own schools?