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.

Toilet provision for women has been an issue for years.

Invariably we need more but we don't have that.

It's the norm for women and girls to queue for ages while men zip in and out.

The urinary leash is a thing.

The closure of so many public facilities in the last decade or so has impacted women more than men.

For women who are less continent (which is lots, sometimes temporarily, often not. Old age being a major one). It stops women from being able to have the freedom men enjoy.

We can't so easily pee up an empty side alley or behind a tree.

Esp not if v old or heavily Pg.

And don't forget we had to fight for provision in the first place.

www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/womens-right-work-toilet-bathroom-victorian-london-wwi-factory-protest

And of course inadequate faculties have a huge impact on many aspects of life for girls and women around the world, including safety.

These things are all part of the same thing. Our needs not being considered.

Iirc British library is a pretty modern building. I'm surprised that there's twice the provision for men on ground floor than women. That's arse about face.

One facet of the same thing. A general failure to properly consider women in design.

(I haven't been to BL so if turns out there are loads more on ground floor then yay! Point still stands in general).

@thebestnamesweregone

Jesus Christ talk about "real world problems!" Smh

It is "real world problem" though.

If you have to wait for 10/15 minutes to go to the loo when preganant, feeling bad, period, miscarriage, IBS, weak blader, extreme peri menopause bleed, (or any of the many possibilities in this vein) it is real "rea;" world.
If you are 4 years old, 54 years old, 84 years old it is unacepatble that women have to wait in line while men do not.
It is unacceptable that they divide the space equally for men and women when our bodies function very differently.
It is totally fucking unaccpetable that my daughter worries that she might pee in her pants or that my aged mum worries about embarrassing herself because a dick head architect has a complete failure of imagination, and forgets that he (and it is usually a "He") needs to design for the entire population and not just his side of the population.
It is very real world indeed.

@thebestnamesweregone

Jesus Christ talk about "real world problems!" Smh

Of course its a real world issue

Ive not been to the library and hopefully the OP is completely wrong about the provision for women

But for the moment i will believe her and assume that the men have more cubicles/urinals. I don’t think the OP is referring to mixed sex toilets, with the exception of the rebranding of one of the disabled toilets to cover anyone who wants to go in there

But for the moment i will believe her and assume that the men have more cubicles/urinals.
I will wait for the evidence. I've been to the BL many times, and the toilet provision has been great. So much so that I've never thought to check the actual numbers. And I say that as someone who's complained in the past about many other (totally inadequate) places.

Doesn’t the BL have absolutely enormous women’s toilets and cloakroom on one of the lower floors??
Are you sure you’ e got it right OP? Quite often the main men’s and main women’s toilets aren’t right beside each other but opposite or on a different floor to allow for the extra space given over to women’s cubicles in modern buildings.

Before you get totally outraged, OP, why don’t you email their press office/ coins people and ASK what their provision is… I do think you’ve got this one wrong.
I remember getting outraged at a similar set up at BM ( I think) only to later discover I’d missed the 50 odd cubicles on another floor that were the main women’s loos…

I’ve spent a lot of time at the BL there are loos everywhere , the lower floors probably have more, but overall I would have thought it’s about equal. Which floor were you on , if that’s the first then the women’s loos are on the other side with another accessible one . There are also loos in some of the reading rooms I think .

Other loos being a available is irrelevant. A man will rock up to these two doors and amble on without a second thought.

Women will rock up and pause, wonder if this as a ‘unisex’ loo, ask themselves why the mens loos appear to be for able bodied men only, then weigh up whether the can hold their pee until they find a ladies loo.

@KittenKong

Other loos being a available is irrelevant. A man will rock up to these two doors and amble on without a second thought.

Women will rock up and pause, wonder if this as a ‘unisex’ loo, ask themselves why the mens loos appear to be for able bodied men only, then weigh up whether the can hold their pee until they find a ladies loo.

Purposefully not looking at the sign right in front of them saying the women's toilets are opposite?

‘On the other side of the floor’. Nope I’d still be wondering why the ladies is a ‘catch-all’ facility while the men’s remains exclusive.

Nope I’d still be wondering why the ladies is a ‘catch-all’ facility while the men’s remains exclusive.
The ladies' isn't a catch-all, although the disabled toilet seems to be.

The men's is one side, and the ladies' on the other. The disabled toilet is next to the gents' toilets (although there might also be another similar disabled toilet next to the ladies' toilets).

I emailed them a while ago and, having pointed out the disparity in numbers asked them 3 questions:

Why disabled people, those who need accessible provision (which by the way these weren't, just normal looswith one larger cubicle!) now have to share with anyone and everyone who chooses to enter?

Why they are providing mix sexed provision that does not meet the expected / Best Practice mixed sex layout?

Have they done any kind of risk assessment on their fully enclosed, mixed sex toilet areas?

I had a holding response and am still waiting.

@Gastonia

Nope I’d still be wondering why the ladies is a ‘catch-all’ facility while the men’s remains exclusive. The ladies' isn't a catch-all, although the disabled toilet seems to be.

The men's is one side, and the ladies' on the other. The disabled toilet is next to the gents' toilets (although there might also be another similar disabled toilet next to the ladies' toilets).

I didn't see that set up. No ladies loos with an open to all room next door.

@KittenKong

‘On the other side of the floor’. Nope I’d still be wondering why the ladies is a ‘catch-all’ facility while the men’s remains exclusive.

It's not...

I just don't get it.

They have single sex loos for women.
They have single sex loos for men.
They have disabled loos.
And they have one (maybe more) loo which is a seperate cubicle and which is trans-friendly.

Lots of loos. Catering for all groups. Scattered liberally about the building. By all accounts, clean and well maintained.

There's places for those who want single sex. Plus a seperate cubicle for trans people, which isn't encroaching on the single sex provision.

Plus information on changing places provision.

This is toilet nirvana, in London.

Why are we criticising?