Legislation addresses inequity in toilet designs

Gansu province has enacted legislation mandating a female-to-male restroom ratio of no less than 2-to-1 in high-traffic areas, setting a pioneering standard for urban planning in China.

The law, which took effect on Aug 1, requires governments at all levels in Gansu to consider the special needs of women in the planning and construction of infrastructure and to ensure there are enough public toilets and baby care rooms. The ratio of female to male toilet stalls in urban public toilets should be raised to 3-to-2, and in crowded venues, the ratio should be increased to 2-to-1.

"It has provided practical and effective legal guarantees for safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of women in Gansu, promoting gender equality, facilitating the all-round development of women, and continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness and security of the vast number of women," said Li Yue, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress.

At the Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang, the change has been visible.

"The change reveals public service refinement and gender equality," said Li Xiaoqing, deputy director of the site.

According to Li, the scenic area converted a restroom that had been shared by both men and women into a restroom exclusively for women. Two mobile restrooms with 20 stalls have been added, and two more with 40 stalls are being purchased. The scenic area now has 16 restrooms, achieving a 2-to-1 ratio for women and men.

The law has been warmly welcomed by the public. A tourist surnamed Jin from Zhejiang province said she was surprised to find toilets specially provided for women at the scenic area.

"It's people-oriented service," she said.

The reform responds to persistent inequities in restroom design, which traditionally favored a 1-to-1 ratio despite women's longer usage times. A 2017 study by Ghent University in Belgium found men take an average of 60 seconds in a toilet while women take 90 seconds.

Meanwhile, a new regulation on women's rights protection in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will take effect Sept 1. The regulation mandates that governments at or above the county level build mother-and-baby rooms and increase the proportion of female toilet stalls. In places with heavy traffic flow, the female-to-male ratio of stalls should not be less than 2-to-1 when planning and constructing infrastructure, carrying out urban renewal and promoting the development of new towns.

For employers with a large number of female employees, the regulation requires facilities such as health rooms, restrooms for pregnant women and mother-and-baby rooms to meet employees' needs. It also encourages supermarkets, shopping malls, cinemas and other business premises to provide public toilets and mother-and-baby rooms that meet the needs of women.

Other cities in China, including Shenzhen in Guangdong province and Chongqing, are testing solutions such as "tidal toilets" and internet-of-things-enabled dynamic allocation systems to optimize the ratio, People's Daily reported on Monday.