More restrooms needed for women

There is a rise in the participation of women in the workplace, but the facilities for them have not kept up pace. Cities such as Peshawar have many old brick buildings that are still used by offices, both government and otherwise, NGOs, educational institutes, the media industry and so on. When these buildings were laid out, architects did not consider the construction of female restrooms – much to the inconvenience of women. One reason may have been the utter domination of men in the workplace.

The other problem is that there are no public washrooms for females in the city. This is, no doubt, a subtle form of discrimination.

If you are sceptical of this, speak to any woman who has experience working in various different workplaces for a few years or even months and you will get to know that there were inadequate and poorly maintained toilet facilities for women as compared to men.

I have come across so many women who, out of embarrassment, refuse to drink water and take liquids because they want to avoid a trip to the washrooms by any means necessary. These public washrooms for women have been badly designed and inconveniently located, where anyone is able to see a woman going into the facility.

Not every woman can use squat toilets, not every woman is comfortable in attending restrooms that are located in distant corners of buildings — places where one could see where she is going.

It is not an easy job for the concerned individuals to establish proper public and office washrooms, but awareness must be created. The government and the NGOs who claim to be working for women’s rights need to desperately take notice of this serious issue. There has, thus far, been no survey conducted about how many offices in the city provide adequate restrooms with available facilities for females. Also, the government is requested to establish public washrooms for women in the city of Peshawar.

We need more facilities for women in every office and public place, not just one but several women’s restrooms, spacious and fully equipped with all the adequate washroom facilities. Women need a separate prayer room, as well as a separate common room where they can relax. The government and NGOs need to consider the fact that this is a major problem and that they must construct a healthier environment, where women can feel more at ease.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2016.