Women and girls may have shorter waits to use public toilets in shopping malls, cinemas and other public places, under a government proposal, Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po told legislators on Wednesday.
The proposal calls for 60 per cent more women’s toilets in shopping arcades and department stores, 160 per cent more in cinemas and 185 per cent more in other places of public entertainment.
This increase will reduce the time women and girls have to wait for a toilet to 90 seconds, on average, Chan told the Legislative Council.
The proposal was first tabled in Legco for discussion in February, based on a Buildings Department study that suggested increasing the ratio of men’s and women’s toilets from 1:1 to 1:1.5.
The government put the proposal on hold after some lawmakers warned that it might create legal issues relating to discrimination against men.
But the Department of Justice has removed that concern, advising that the change should not lead to allegations of gender discrimination, Chan told lawmakers.