Women-only Cambridge college only has unisex lavatories

[IwantToRetire]

... 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.

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.

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…

It’s not a convent, men can enter the building and may need to use the loo whilst they’re there. God some people are just desperate to be offended.

It’s an interesting article OP, and if other posters had read it they’d see that some of the college’s toilets are not enclosed as they’re required to be to meet unisex standards. The college is also trying to claim in its defence that it was “never single sex”.

It sounds as if they are trying to cater to those young women who think they are men, or perhaps 'non binary'...who might be 'horrified' to have to use women's facilities.

Problem is, then actual men are free to use the facility too.

Madness.

Of course men need to use toilets too...so the best solution would be to add in an additional 'gender neutral' facility for the young women who think they are men or 'non binary'...I'm sure there must have already existed a male facility for lecturers, visitors, and other staff

It's not actually an all female college though. It's been admitting men (so long as they assert that they don't have a masculine gender identity) for years.

I'm not sure that would be acceptable now, since the Supreme Court ruling. If they are designating 'single sex' then that is what it needs to be. Any young woman who applies there on the basis that it is single sex has every right to expect it to be.

This is the mess created by the wilful confusion and blurring of boundaries that is trans ideology,

What about the young women who do have 'a masculine gender identity'. I bet there are a few.

Read the article., it gives more background. It's a 'women's college' that considers anyone who identifies as a women at the time of applying to be a woman. And not all of the unisex facilities are fully enclosed, so women are having to share toilets and showers with males.

Yes, and that's a problem. They have a legal obligation to provide single sex facilities for both their male and female staff, and unisex facilities should be properly enclosed.

That is most definitely going to have to be challenged now...unless they dispense with the 'single sex' designation.

This is interesting.
I was there 40 years ago.
I don't remember 'gents' / mens toilets being scattered around across the college.
So now I'm wondering what happened with boyfriends / friends staying over / visiting?
I think they must have just been discreet in their use of toilets and showers.

Lovely gardens.

At a different Cambridge college (whilst visiting their cafe over the summer), I saw their toilets were labeled 'Toilets with urinals' and something like 'Toilets without urinals' / 'toilets with pans' (can't remember exactly what). So basically it was an individuals choice which to use. Not very impressed.
I can't remember exactly what the cubicles were like, I think they were full length stalls, but definitely a row of separate sinks outside the cubicles.

Surely they’d not want to apply to a women’s college?

There's absolutely no problem with them attending an all-female college though is there?

But didn't you suggest that it was meant to be only for those who "didn't have a masculine identity?"

No! But I bet they do.

I bet there are plenty who have toyed with being trans identified or 'non -"binary...but as with sport, most women don't really want to play against men, they just want to be affirmed for their 'non conforming' or special identity.

Same as with girls in girls schools that declare trans identities.

men are allowed to be admitted if the assert (unprovably) that they don't have a masculine gender identity.

There is no requirement for women to declare their gender identity either way.

Can you show me the passage where that is stated?

Does it say open to 'men who identify as female', but 'not open to women who identify as male or who have a 'male gender identity?'

Newnham require some sort of formal paperwork of a changed gender to female. It’s Murray Edwards that goes for pure self ID.

The female only fellowships were a big signal imo that they are changing tack. Newnham were a canary in the coal mine on this with the appointment of Dr Padman all those years ago. My feel is now that the vibe will be ‘oh dear we have to apply the law, sorry about that’ with some quite solid shifts where it matters (students, academic jobs). A gender neutral toilet or two seems unexciting in that context.

I was wondering too if it was by anny chance out of concern for women who say they are men/ are trying to slough off their horror of being female.

Newnham needs to decide whether it wants to remain a 'women only' collge, because if it does it needs to comply with the Supreme Court ruling on 'single sex'.

It would be perverse to set oneself up as being for 'women only' for it to actually to be open to men as well. Why bother?

I am slightly confused about this.

when I went to Cambridge (admittedly many years ago) men were allowed on the college grounds and into the bar etc.

in fact I recall quite a few nights out.

they say they have toilets which are lockable single stall which are presumably ok for anyone to use.

so men coming onto site can choose toilets to use.

ime the toilets near the public areas (bar, chapel, teaching rooms) tend to be the single cubicle lock door type whereas the ones that are part if accommodation can be shared.

presumably the issue is with the accommodation ones rather than the “public” ones?

I was at a women's college in Oxford in the late 1960s, and it was never a problem. Your male friends just used the bathroom at the end of your corridor, and no need for discretion at all! I remember men wandering round in towels with wet hair. Indeed my boyfriend lived in a flat that was so filthy he preferred to come over to my room when he needed a bath. I think we were all a lot more easy-going in those days!