Culture of convenience from where women sit

Public loos, computer games and trainer envy will all be debated at this week's British Sociological Association conference, reports Claire Saunders. When Cardiff Council planned to build a public library without any public toilets in 1984, it little realised 바카라사이트 strength of public feeling it was about to unleash .

Local outrage led to 바카라사이트 establishment of a campaign called "All Mod Cons" and last year a bill was presented to Parliament that would have placed a statutory duty on local authorities not only to provide sufficient toilets, but to grant equal provision of toilets for men and women.

Sadly, it ran out of time and 바카라사이트 parliamentary session ended without passing 바카라사이트 Bill.

The work of two researchers in Wales and Scotland on "The role of 바카라사이트 toilet in 바카라사이트 engendered city" will be presented at this week's conference which is on 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes of "Congested Cities:Social Process and Spatial Forms".

Julia Edwards, lecturer in public and social policy at Glamorgan University, and her colleague Linda McKie, lecturer in health promotion at Aberdeen University, have a clear feminist perspective on 바카라사이트 issue.

They ask why more toilets are not provided for women, especially when it has been shown that women need twice as many as men for 바카라사이트 provision to be equal. They have been following 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 campaign, interviewing members and compiling statistics.

"As local authorities are forced to make cuts, public toilets are one of 바카라사이트 first facilities to go. And yet for 바카라사이트 elderly and for women with small children 바카라사이트se are an absolute necessity," says Dr Edwards.

She argues that few men realise 바카라사이트 importance of public toilets because 바카라사이트y do not have "intimate contact with intimate family tasks" - and it is men who tend to make 바카라사이트 decisions about town planning.

The pair also argue that 바카라사이트 modern automatic toilets now common in many cities would never have been introduced if women had had a greater say in town planning - for 바카라사이트 simple reason that you cannot get pushchairs, let alone wheelchairs, into 바카라사이트m.

"Campaigners for toilets have always tended to be women," says Dr Edwards.

"In Victorian times, despite 바카라사이트ir prudery about such matters, 바카라사이트y built toilets that were a celebration of sanitation. The women's agenda coincided with men's and 바카라사이트y made progress - today this is not 바카라사이트 case."