A push for unisex restrooms on university campuses needs to be better integrated with improved toilet habits and architectural planning, academics and administrators said.
Taiwan needs to change habits in design and restroom use before unisex restrooms — one of many initiatives to make public spaces more friendly for people of all genders — can become more widespread, National Taiwan University associate professor of building and planning Huang Li-ling (黃麗玲) said.
Janitors at the university and other institutions frequently complain that men are messy with seated toilets, which are a requirement for unisex restrooms, she said, adding that children need better education on toilet etiquette and that adults need to show more respect for public facilities.
“Changing the culture regarding restroom use would go a long way toward adjusting how people think members of different genders should interact,” Huang said. “To make restrooms friendly for people of all genders, we should reduce gender discrimination at the door and change the culture surrounding their use.”
Common design flaws in restroom locations and layouts have added to discomfort many people have about sharing restrooms with members of the opposite sex, particularly because architects habitually allot space for restrooms after the rest of the building has been laid out, she said.
In contrast, the university’s new regulations governing restrooms stipulate that for safety reasons, restrooms must be placed along lines of movement and not in secluded areas, Huang said, adding that lighting, compartments and countermeasures against spy cameras received particular attention in the construction of new restrooms at the university’s 1st Student Activity Center.
Segregated restrooms do not prevent sex crimes, but instead aid perpetrators in identifying potential victims, said Yang Tzu-hsien (楊子賢), a National Chengchi University student who recently helped its gender equality commission to adopt unisex restrooms.
“Going to the restroom is a basic physiological need and people should not be excluded from spaces designated for public use,” Yang said. “Safety concerns should be addressed through security measures, such as alarm buttons.”
There have always been incidents of sexual harassment at segregated restrooms, said Chen Yi-chien (陳宜倩), a law professor affiliated with Shih Hsin University’s Graduate Institute for Gender Studies.
“There is no reason to think perverts will not target women’s restrooms,” Chen said. “Segregated restrooms only help miscreants to have clearly marked targets.”
Although unisex restrooms are inexpensive, too many public institutions are unwilling to spend the small sum required for their installation and instead try to create the appearance of gender equality by employing ineffective measures, such as placing a men’s restroom next to a women’s, she said.
The minimum requirement is to have unisex restrooms, which would not force transgender students to have to choose between segregated restrooms, Chen said, adding that if that requirement cannot be met, there is little chance of convincing people to accept the gender-neutral concept.
“End-user participation is the most crucial component for success,” Chen said. “Shih Hsin University spent a semester securing that participation through workshops, public hearings and surveys.”
The university has introduced unisex restrooms, which are compartmented to ensure privacy, she said.
Soochow University last year built unisex restrooms with both urinal stalls and seated toilets to accommodate people of all genders and ensure their privacy, said Lin Chen-ho (林振和), an administrator at the school’s general services office, adding that its policy was to provide a “stress-free environment for every individual.”
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