Girls ‘too scared’ to use unisex school toilets amid fears of ‘period shaming and sex harassment’
The row follows the opening of mixed toilets at a school in Port Talbot 'to prevent bullying'
GIRLS are "too scared" to use unisex school toilets amid fears of "period shaming and sexual harassment", a women's charity has claimed.
Women's Voice Wales has expressed concern that separate male and female toilets are increasingly being replaced with unisex toilets in some schools in Wales.
"What we’ve heard so far ranges from girls not drinking water during the day so they can avoid using the toilets, to ‘period shaming’ from boys," the charity wrote on its Facebook page.
"Anxiety about coping with menstruation in schools has a serious effect on female pupils, including refusing to attend school.
"We are particularly concerned about any sexual harassment or intimidation taking place in mixed sex toilets."
The Department for Education says schools must ensure "separate toilet facilities for boys and girls aged eight years or over are provided", meaning legally, schools cannot replace the facilities entirely with unisex ones.
My daughters use these and there haven’t been any issues. They are an open space along the corridor so no one can possibly lurk or cause bad behaviour
Parent Emma Morgan
But Women's Voice Wales believes neither pupils, parents nor school staff have been adequately consulted.
It has written to the Welsh Government and the Children’s Commissioner for Wales quoting a study by the University of Warwick showing almost four in ten female pupils have suffered sexual harassment at school in Wales and England, .
Mum Susan Hawthorne said: "A massive NO to unisex toilets only. Wake up you regulators. Who can chase them up?"
But not all parents shared the charity's concerns.
Emma Morgan responded saying: "My daughters use these and there haven’t been any issues.
"They are an open space along the corridor so no one can possibly lurk or cause bad behaviour."
In October parents slammed a new school's decision to have unisex toilets as "out of order" - with some even telling their kids to come home for toilet breaks instead.
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Ysgol Cwm Brombil in Port Talbot, South Wales, said it made the decision to open mixed toilets to prevent bullying.
Unisex facilities are on the rise in the UK, while retailers including Topshop offer gender neutral changing rooms.
Supporters argue that they address concerns of trans and disabled people as well as cutting waiting time for women and girls.
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