Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Women-only Cambridge college only has unisex lavatories

52 replies

IwantToRetire · 21/09/2025 02:01

... the current toilet arrangement goes against the college’s own principles of providing a welcoming and nurturing environment for women.

Interim guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after the April ruling states that “toilets, showers and changing facilities may be mixed-sex where they are in a separate room lockable from the inside”, citing the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Full article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/20/women-only-cambridge-college-equality-law-unisex-lavatories/
and also at https://archive.is/5Ie3x

But ...

... the college is also coming under fire from pro-trans groups over a new policy which restricts research scholarships to biological women only, following the Supreme Court ruling.

Women-only Cambridge college only has unisex lavatories
OP posts:
CautiousLurker01 · 21/09/2025 08:50

Am inferring this issue is over the fact that although it is a women’s college - ie all students are female - not all of it’s teaching/admin/estate staff are female so the ‘staff’ facilities need to include a provision for those male employees. I think, under the law, as it’s a place of employment it is required (I think) to ensure men have separate facilities, even if those already in place are single, lockable, unisex facilities? I now the ‘staff toilet’ at most schools I’ve used is often a single lockable WC with a wash basin outside and is for both sexes as a result - which I think is adequate under the law as it stands, anyway?

I think there may be a bit of shit stirring behind this…

LemondrizzleShark · 21/09/2025 02:09

toilets, showers and changing facilities may be mixed-sex where they are in a separate room lockable from the inside

I’m not clear, is that what Newnham have? Or is the issue that they don’t?

If they are all separate like a disabled toilet, I actually don’t see the issue. I assume in a women’s college there isn’t much call for male-specific toilets, so it’s more convenient to have individual cubicles across campus that the male staff can use too. Or the men could be walking miles between buildings to find the sole men’s toilets.

Swipe left for the next trending thread