It’s time we recognise our differences and stop the stress at intermission for Canberra women. Photo: Unsplash.
If Canberra wants to design a world-class theatre, it should start by fixing one of the most basic failures of others: bathroom inequity.
As we prepare to welcome our new 2000-seat Lyric Theatre, I have one humble plea for the design team: Please, for the love of musicals and mothers everywhere, give us more women’s bathrooms.
I recently took my young daughter to see Annie the Musical at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. At intermission, she asked to go to the bathroom and – this not being my first rodeo – I grabbed her hand and whisked her away faster than you can say “hard knock life”.
Despite our savvy hustle, we still had to join a long queue and my daughter was concerned we may miss some of the show. I squinted to see the end of the women’s bathroom line, which looked as though it ended somewhere in the outer suburbs.
Meanwhile, we watched a never-ending stream of men dreamily flow in and out of the men’s bathrooms beside us, with not a care in the world.
Whilst uneven bathroom wait times may seem a minor inconvenience, sometimes small gripes conceal (or reveal) much bigger issues.
This frustrating discrepancy is such a visceral reminder of systemic sexism and how it remains prevalent in our everyday life, often in ways so ingrained that we barely notice them, don’t acknowledge them, or dismiss them with a shrug and a sigh, like “ah well, what can you do?”.
First, let’s acknowledge the facts and agree on why women are “slower” in the bathroom.
Hint: We are not powdering our nose.
Put simply, women have more to get done during our bathroom visit.
Firstly, children – regardless of their gender – are typically sent to the bathroom with mums. The reason behind this probably differs from person to person, but is likely due to considerations of hygiene and personal safety and potentially also child preference (given mum is typically still the primary caregiver).
Baby changing facilities are almost exclusively found in the women’s bathroom, with their inclusion in designated family rooms only a recent development.
But even if we’re on a solo toilet trip, it can be a battle.
I’m not sure if men will ever understand how complicated women’s outfits can be. Handbags, long dresses, bodysuits, shapewear and stockings – honestly, sometimes it’s like trying to squat whilst fending off the falling sails of a sinking ship in a storm.
Even in the simplest outfit, women’s fashion typically prioritises style over function. If you see a woman looking fuss-free in a simple jumpsuit, just know that that poor woman has to completely undress to wee. And the zip is in the back.
Now, snowflakes brace yourselves, because it has to be said – women also have periods. If you thought getting naked and trying to keep your jumpsuit from touching the wet floor sounded challenging, let’s add in a complicated, high-stakes fidget toy.
Meanwhile, urinals allow men to remain fully dressed and fully upright, allowing them to quickly zip in and out – literally and figuratively.
Logistically, this alone allows more people to go through faster, even if square footage is equal.
And look, I don’t want to generalise or offend, but have you ever had a whiff of a men’s bathroom, compared to the women’s? Numerous studies confirm women as a group spend more time in the bathroom on hygiene, although COVID did somewhat level that playing field (for a time).
Lastly, the women’s bathroom sometimes acts as a refuge. Whilst clusters of women in conversation may appear like time-wasting gas-baggers, often they are rendering some important support. It may be that someone’s child has lost a much-loved toy, or that someone’s friend is suddenly unwell and needs her hair held back and a safe exit plan.
It is unjust enough that we have to battle Disneyland-esque lines to use the bathroom at hyperspeed, but I cannot stand the thought that men think this is actually our fault.
We are not in there gossiping happily, trying out each others’ lipstick and having pillow fights. We’re racing the clock, working up a sweat to free up valuable cubicle space as quickly as possible.
It ain’t Easy Street! (One more musical theatre reference there for you.)
Women have more to do with less accommodating facilities. We shoulder the greater share of caretaking responsibilities and have unique biological challenges – not to mention the fickle flaws of female fashion – none of which is considered in building design.
So please, Canberra developers and designers, as we continue to grow our progressive city and before the curtain closes on the theatre design process, can we prioritise equity over equality in this very important matter.
Give us more bathrooms!
