Figure 1: Women waiting in a long line at a public event
It seems like common sense; when nature calls, we answer. However, that may not always be the case for women in some instances. It’s disappointing to say the least, that women can be disadvantaged in society even in something as simple as using a restroom. The idea that something that is a natural part of being a human isn’t remedied similarly between sexes. Social standards favor men in their ability to essentially use any space, indoor or outdoor, as their own restroom. In France, the city of Paris implemented what is called ‘open-air urinals’ to eliminate urination along public streets in the city. This however is only beneficial to men due to the structure of urinals and societal standards make it so it’s only socially acceptable for men to use.
Have you ever been to a public event where men’s and women’s restrooms are divided next to each other? If you were to pay attention to these separate spaces, you might notice that men do not typically have to wait in line to use the restroom. Whereas you would usually see a long line formed outside of the women’s restroom. This is for a wide variety of reasons. For starters, “research shows women take on average twice as long as men in the restroom” (Bloomberg), Women menstruate, we wear more articles of clothing than most men wear, often women bring their children with them into public restrooms, etc. These variables play a role in the disproportionate wait times between men and women for restrooms, but another big factor is that men’s restrooms have both toilets and urinals making it less likely for them to wait in line to use the bathroom.
From an architectural lens, most building designs of restrooms does not account for time spent using those restrooms. Designers pay more attention to issues related to the safety of occupants in these spaces and traffic in restrooms isn’t always easy to navigate for waiting times. You might think the simple solution for this issue would be to just add more toilets in women’s restrooms, however, budget and spending play a huge role in this not being a reality. Ultimately, this lack of restroom access is frustrating for women everywhere, we want to be able to do our business when needed without the inconvenience of having to hold our bladder in public. Potty Patriarchy is a very real thing and it ultimately stems from the social standards of men and women in the United States.
Bibliography
Gillespie, James. “Testing Paris’s New Public Pissoir – the Uritrottoir.” News | The Sunday Times, The Sunday Times, 18 Aug. 2018, www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ testing-pariss-new-public-pissoir-the-uritrottoir-wwgj9g8tv.
Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-07/the-lack-of-equal-bathroom-access-for-women-is-a-global-design-flaw.