British Library - women's toilets

[redsplodge]

My partner & I visited the British Library today for the first time in ages & were both pretty pissed off (no pun intended) by the women's toilet provision.

The picture is of the toilet doors in the main area of the ground floor. That's bad enough, the reality inside is that the men's toilets were 'enormous' (partner's words) with both cubicles & urinals - enough for about 15 men. The other one was one toilet - clearly the accessible toilet now supposed to serve everyone else - oh and men too

The women's toilets referenced in the sign had 7 cubicles (including one larger cubicle, although I am not sure it would have been big enough for wheelchair access). Next door was another men's toilet - 7 cubicles + similar number of urinals.

I cannot get over the disparity in provision and the the fact that those needing the accessible toilet have to share with absolutely fucking everybody.

My partner complained in person - the woman on the information desk positively encouraged him to fill out a form. I'll be emailing my complaint this evening.

So men have a separate , sex separate facility but not women?

Women have fewer facilities then men?

Both in contradiction to equality act?

What the everloving nonsense is this????

Well that sums up the entire problem in one tidy photo. Perfect.

No words. I'm glad you're going to email.

I think I'll be visiting and complaining too:

www.bl.uk/about-us/governance/policies/complaints

Isn't that discrimination on the basis of sex by providing less facilities for females?

From their Code of service:

"Our service will be fair to everyone

• We are committed to providing the same level of service to all users.."

Awful. So unfair to women. Men can have a private space but women can''t.

So there is a men’s... there everyone else (and that includes disabled facilities and the wee alien symbol). So that’s ok then.

Let us know what they say. How can anyone think that’s ok??? I’d be stomping into the men’s (because I’m a stroppy mare).

"Our health & safety management policy statement recognises the British Library's moral and legal obligation to safeguard, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of our employees, contractors, partners, users, visitors, and the general public.

Wonder if there's a risk assessment for this new restroom policy?

I don't think that's the main female toilet. Doesn't it say that the main female toilet is on the other side of this floor?

It just so happens that the disabled toilet is suitable for all sexes, genders etc...

They don’t know the meaning of the word ‘safeguard’ (or dignity) obviously.

Actually, I think it's saying that trans people should use the disabled toilet.

The sign next to it says, "The nearest Female WC is on the other side of this floor."

My rage is enraged.

I just want to check I've understood this?

Men have a single sex facility.
Women have a single sex facility, albeit on the other side of the floor.
There's also a single cubicle which serves both as disabled toilets and a gender neutral toilet.

Isn't this the third space solution?

I get that it sucks that the men only provision is more generous than the women's (although is it the other way round on a different floor perhaps?) but, if there are enough loos that noone has to wait then is that a huge issue?

I'd like to remove the male and female symbols from the disabled loo, so it's for disabled and gender non-conforming people only, because I'm aware that it can cause issues for disabled people who have to wait. And I'd like to increase the number of disabled loos, for the same reason.

But, given they're working within the constraints of the existing building, isn't this a good way to have single sex provision for both sexes, as well as a third space for trans gender people?

There were other, separate men's & women's toilets over the other side of the ground floor. The women's had 7 cubicles, the men's about the same number of both cubicles & urinals. In the toilets pictured my partner reckoned there was provision for at least 15 men.

In short :
Men : ~ 30 cubicles & urinals in two locations
Women : ~ 7 cubicles in one location
Those in need of an accessible toilet : one toilet. Which you'll have to share with everyone else.

Considering women are usually the ones juggling children in the loos, this is a joke.

@redsplodge - is 'provision for 15 men' 15 cubicles, or say 5 cubicles and 10 urinals?

Were there plenty of toilets to go round?

Both of these impact on my sense of outrage.

Agree with your point on inadequate accessible toilet provision, given it's shared.

This is so misleading. You can even see on the sign right in front of you that the female only toilet is elsewhere. It's a non issue.

@OttilieStonelady

This is so misleading. You can even see on the sign right in front of you that the female only toilet is elsewhere. It's a non issue.

Read OP's further posts. The female loo referred to was also next to a further male loo. Men get twice the provision, despite needing half the provision (because they're quicker).

Motorina the British Library is a relatively modern building - opened in the nineties, so it is both surprising & disappointing that the provision is so unequal.

With the current set up there will be queues at busier times for the women's, but I very much doubt there will be for the men's.

It's vile isn't it. Most of the buildings in University of Oxford are the same. Most former ladies loos are now gender neutral, are used by men and stink to high heaven. No safe spaces. When I go to Exam Rioms, I use the loo at John Lewis. UoOx isn't a fit place for women to work any more.

...Exam Rooms...

I'm on the British Library website now.

There's accessible toilets on all floors.

There are disabled cubicles within all the sex-restricted toilet facilities as well as "separate unisex accessible toilets for privacy".

They have information on the nearest adult 'changing places' toilet.

There is both single sex toilet blocks, and trans/gender non-conforming toilet provision. The latter is within those seperate unisex accessible toilets.

Assuming there's enough provision, it's clean, and the loo roll dispensers are well stocked - a pet peeve - then I reckon it's a big thumbs up from me.

Have you been to the British museum before? There must be at least 7 or 8 toilets there! It's massive. I go every year and am sure there are at least 4 women's toilets across the floors... I really think OP has got this wrong.

So thry didn't have a women's only toilet on the same floor, which would be the equivalent of the men's toilet on the right in the photo???