Page 2 | I found an academic blog about the history of women's public toilets and the 'urinary leash'

BadSkiingMum · 2026-07-23T15:24:54+00:00

By sheer chance I happened to find an academic blog about the history of women's public toilets and the impact of the urinary leash. I was searching for something using the words 'women owned logo' (which is a business promotion scheme in the USA) and my finger slipped off the 'g', leaving me with a search for 'women owned loo'! It's an interesting blog and what stood out to me is that the big London department stores only introduced women's toilets for commercial reasons, as they realised that it would help women to spend more money. Perhaps there is a lesson in that for the issues of today? I remember that in America they had the 19th century women's 'Rest Rooms' movement in big cities. I think those facilities were more similar to waiting rooms, in that they had a sitting area as well as the toilets, but anyone who has been to a hotel built in that era knows that ladies loos often have a sitting area as well as the toilet facilities. So there was a understanding of the privacy/safety need, as well as hygiene. [[https://wash.leeds.ac.uk/womens-rights-and-the-loo-leash-the-fight-for-public-toilets-in-the-uk/ Women’s rights and the “loo leash”: the fight for public toilets in the UK | Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) Blog]] Thank you to the author for putting this article out there.

WutheringTights · 28/07/2026 17:19

There is still a ladies waiting room in my local major mainline train station. You can still see them in many UK train stations. It’s a safety thing.

Bacha1910 · 28/07/2026 16:49

AlwaysExtraHot · 28/07/2026 16:12

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina there’s a reference to her going into the ‘First Class ladies waiting room’ at a station. Although obviously it might be different in the original Russian.
I'm sure I've read fiction by UK authors referring to a First Class ladies waiting room as well. I think it might be one of those things that did exist but which is lost to history.

Show quote history

There were still rooms marked ladies’ and men's waiting rooms on some stations when I was a child in the 1980s. Though, I think long disused. My nan always insisted on sitting in the one for women.

Bacha1910 · 28/07/2026 16:47

It’s like working class women never existed for some historians.

UtopiaPlanitia · 28/07/2026 16:34

EmpressDomesticatednottamed · 28/07/2026 16:12

In Victorian times a woman’s role was associated with domestic life of tending the family and caring for the home. The few women who left the home to feminine jobs such as teaching, dressmaking or looking after the middle and upper class households...

This isn't correct tho, In the 19th century thousands of women worked in cotton mills, potteries, pit brow lasses at coal mines, match factories and so on, how did they manage?. There's nothing about women in industry until the munitions workers.

Yes, but in Victorian terms those women who worked for a living didn't count because they were working-class and, therefore, didn't have the sensitive natures of middle-class and upper-class women. They were to be pitied and managed by religion and charity.

To this day, I still think the UK and Irish States/NGOs view working-class women as less important when it comes to crime prevention and less easily distressed than women from the middle and upper classes.

https://www.peaked.news/p/you-meet-more-perverts-when-youre

You Meet More Perverts When You're Poor

The pampered activists running our institutions have no idea what they're unleashing on women.

https://www.peaked.news/p/you-meet-more-perverts-when-youre

AlwaysExtraHot · 28/07/2026 16:12

BadSkiingMum · 28/07/2026 11:55

Yes, I like the idea of the female-only sitting space, presumably to offer additional privacy and protection against sexual harassment.

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina there’s a reference to her going into the ‘First Class ladies waiting room’ at a station. Although obviously it might be different in the original Russian.

On a related note, the concept of the ‘companion’ or chaperone is quite an interesting one. A 19th century woman could, with another woman in tow, access some of those male freedoms. The way the world is going I think we will very soon see that idea making a comeback…

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina there’s a reference to her going into the ‘First Class ladies waiting room’ at a station. Although obviously it might be different in the original Russian.
I'm sure I've read fiction by UK authors referring to a First Class ladies waiting room as well. I think it might be one of those things that did exist but which is lost to history.

EmpressDomesticatednottamed · 28/07/2026 16:12

In Victorian times a woman’s role was associated with domestic life of tending the family and caring for the home. The few women who left the home to feminine jobs such as teaching, dressmaking or looking after the middle and upper class households...

This isn't correct tho, In the 19th century thousands of women worked in cotton mills, potteries, pit brow lasses at coal mines, match factories and so on, how did they manage?. There's nothing about women in industry until the munitions workers.

AlwaysExtraHot · 28/07/2026 16:11

MarmaladeorJam · 24/07/2026 01:57

I was reading a history of New York (random I know!) and the same happened there. in the form of Macy's in 1858.

Socialising was done by visiting each other at home. Women did not really go out around the city much as the streets were dangerous and hotels were for the wrong sort of women.

Macy's opened in 1858 and became a public space (probably the first public space) that women could go to alone, hang about, meet friends, and yes, go to the bloody loo!

It is quite disturbing to realize just how new all of our female freedoms are.

I do think we need to teach this kind of thing in school. People start to believe that all of these freedoms are a natural consequence of modernity but - they are not. Every one of them was fought for and the opposition put up a bloody good fight.

The women of Afghanistan would have an interesting thing or three to say about losing rights.

In the scale of history, this time and these freedoms are a blip and only a fool would consider them permanent.

EDIT for spelling.

Edited

I was reading a history of New York (random I know!)
Not at all! That must be fascinating. Could you share the title?

MarmaladeorJam · 28/07/2026 15:23

BadSkiingMum · 28/07/2026 11:55

Yes, I like the idea of the female-only sitting space, presumably to offer additional privacy and protection against sexual harassment.

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina there’s a reference to her going into the ‘First Class ladies waiting room’ at a station. Although obviously it might be different in the original Russian.

On a related note, the concept of the ‘companion’ or chaperone is quite an interesting one. A 19th century woman could, with another woman in tow, access some of those male freedoms. The way the world is going I think we will very soon see that idea making a comeback…

A 19th century woman could, with another woman in tow, access some of those male freedoms.

I think women still do that though without calling it a "chaperone." How many times have we persuaded sisters, friends, aunts, mums, to come and do such and such. Yes, it is mainly driven by friendship and company, but deep down, we all know that there is safety in numbers.

Original poster

BadSkiingMum · 28/07/2026 11:55

Yes, I like the idea of the female-only sitting space, presumably to offer additional privacy and protection against sexual harassment.

In Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina there’s a reference to her going into the ‘First Class ladies waiting room’ at a station. Although obviously it might be different in the original Russian.

On a related note, the concept of the ‘companion’ or chaperone is quite an interesting one. A 19th century woman could, with another woman in tow, access some of those male freedoms. The way the world is going I think we will very soon see that idea making a comeback…

OP posts:

Igmum · 28/07/2026 08:54

Great blog, thanks BadSkiing. When I was a kid our local posh department store had a great space in the ladies with lovely sofas, big mirrors and small tables. Just wonderful for rest and a gossip after traipsing round the shops - though tbf groups of 14 yo girls were probably not their target market.

MarmaladeorJam · 24/07/2026 01:57

I was reading a history of New York (random I know!) and the same happened there. in the form of Macy's in 1858.

Socialising was done by visiting each other at home. Women did not really go out around the city much as the streets were dangerous and hotels were for the wrong sort of women.

Macy's opened in 1858 and became a public space (probably the first public space) that women could go to alone, hang about, meet friends, and yes, go to the bloody loo!

It is quite disturbing to realize just how new all of our female freedoms are.

I do think we need to teach this kind of thing in school. People start to believe that all of these freedoms are a natural consequence of modernity but - they are not. Every one of them was fought for and the opposition put up a bloody good fight.

The women of Afghanistan would have an interesting thing or three to say about losing rights.

In the scale of history, this time and these freedoms are a blip and only a fool would consider them permanent.

EDIT for spelling.

UtopiaPlanitia · 23/07/2026 17:41

Thanks for the link OP. It was a very interesting read.

What happened to women in the UK until safe public toilets were built is what's happening to women in the third world today. Charities will argue/lobby for women in developing countries to have safe and hygienic single-sex toilet provision but at the same time argue that women in countries like the UK don't merit the same basic consideration.

Bonkers.