The toilet gap: Why workplaces are failing women

Employed people spend most of their time in workplaces. Logically, therefore, these places should be conducive to performance and personal comfort. Yet, this is not always the case simply because infrastructural designers typically focus on the technical delivery of the final product, often without giving much attention to the gendered needs and interests of end users.

This is a recurrent observation in gender mainstreaming workshops being held for county government officers at the Kenya School of Government.

Also read: Small kitchens, tiny toilets? Maybe it is time women started designing buildings

One example cited is of a human rights civil society organisation that had toilets within the office block for both male and female staff. However, the women were not using this facility and were instead going to an external one designated for clients. The female staff were uncomfortable using the toilets because they were located in an awkward and rather public place, the busiest corridor in the office. Management had never noticed this anomaly until it was raised during the development of a gender policy for the organisation.

In another case, a government office block for veterinarians did not actually have a separate toilet for women, owing to the historical male domination of the sector. When the first female staff member, a director, joined, she had to seek relief in the office block of a neighbouring organisation.

But even when toilets are provided for diverse groups, they may still be inadequate and unresponsive. This was illustrated at a workshop in a Nairobi hotel, where female participants returned late after every break. It turned out that they had to queue for one toilet while their male counterparts had both a toilet and a urinal at which even 10 could relieve themselves simultaneously. The women had to use the single toilet for both short and long calls. Moreover, they were encumbered by their attire and biological factors, which required more time to attend to.

When tasked with identifying features of a gender-responsive workplace, participants have invariably highlighted that women's toilets should be equipped with sanitary disposal bins, large mirrors, and hooks for hanging handbags; items carried not only for aesthetic purposes but to hold sanitary pads, toilet paper, hair styling equipment, and cosmetics.

Beyond toilets, a lot of mischief at the workplace is enhanced by private and dark spaces where staff can be easily sexually harassed. These opportunities can be reduced by having open-plan workspaces where virtually everyone is visible and physically accessible. Enclosed desks and tables also ensure that women not dressed in trousers are not exposed. Consideration should also be given to mundane things such as floor tiles, bearing in mind the different footwear worn by men and women.

One important workplace design feature that is becoming increasingly popular is the childcare centre for workers with infants. Progressive organisations, especially in the private sector, have established such facilities to enable workers to combine parenthood with work. Employees bring their children to these centres, where a minder employed by the organisation provides care. Such an arrangement enables parents to be psychologically settled about their child's safety and to have easy access for checks. It also allows mothers to breastfeed conveniently.

These facilities are typically equipped with toys, colourful walls, changing rooms, breastfeeding bays, child-friendly toilets, fridges, microwave ovens, cookers, water, first aid kits, and even teaching resources.

Most offices also have receptions and waiting bays for use by anyone, regardless of gender. But there is scope for making them gender-responsive. Are they adequate in number and space to guard against opportunistic sexual harassment due to congestion? Do they recognise and provide for clients who may come in with children and therefore need larger spaces? Are the receptions themselves staffed with members of both genders, enabling clients to choose who they wish to attend to them where sensitivities are involved?

Also read: Remote work reduced gender discrimination – returning to the office may change that

Gender insensitivities are particularly conspicuous in the construction and technical sectors. A casual look will reveal a lack of separate, clean, and accessible bathrooms and changing rooms for women on construction sites. The few women working there as technicians, drivers, and supervisors often have to make do with ill-fitting personal protective equipment designed for the male physique rather than the female. Such paraphernalia includes helmets, gloves, boots, overalls, and harnesses. This does not only make women uncomfortable and awkward-looking; it can also be a source of risk and discouragement from jobs in these sectors.

Workplaces are no longer exclusive to men and must be made inclusive. The starting point is to collect data on the gendered needs, interests, and concerns of workers, followed by planning and translation into construction, and monitoring of further challenges for remedial action. For existing structures, deviations should be addressed through retrofitting.

The writer is a lecturer in Gender and Development Studies at South Eastern Kenya