Women have to pay for toilets in Vienna: Is that discrimination?

Women have to pay for toilets in Vienna: Is that discrimination?

In Vienna, the use of public toilets is a constant source of controversy. How meinkreis.at reported that women in particular have to shell out 50 cents for access to public cabins in renowned locations such as the Rathausplatz or Pier 22. Men, on the other hand, enjoy the advantage of free urinals, which allow most of them to go to the toilet for free. This practice has brought the Equal Treatment Ombudsman to the scene, which considers this discrepancy to be discriminatory.

Inequality and discrimination

There are a total of 164 public toilets in the federal capital, of which more than 30 are paid cubicles. This regulation applies in particular to the facilities operated by the municipal department for waste management (MA 48). According to this authority, the usage fee is charged primarily to cover cleaning and supervision costs. While the usage fee for the toilets applies under the supervision of MA 48, there are different regulations in facilities of MA 45 (Vienna waters).

Another point that was raised in the discussion is access for children up to 14 years old and people with disabilities, who are allowed to use the cabins in the supervised toilets free of charge. Outside operating hours, the toilets are free for everyone.

The discussion about the unequal handling of toilet usage fees has been going on in the city since 2010, without any significant changes to date. However, MA 48 is planning to review the situation, which gives those affected hope.

Unisex toilets as a solution?

But it is not only in Vienna that there are considerations for improving the toilet situation. Also in Germany, like transinterqueer.org states, the installation of unisex toilets is being promoted in order to enable non-discriminatory use. This discussion also extends to neighboring European countries, where public toilets are often separated by gender - which strongly excludes non-binary, intersex and transgender people.

Unisex toilets could provide a good solution by creating space for all genders and making it easier for fathers to use with their children. Previous experience shows that in unisex facilities, such as in Hamburg, the need for privacy and cleanliness is similarly valued on both sides, without any increased mention of problems.

Future considerations

The benefits of unisex toilets are clear: not only could they reduce discrimination, but they could also help simplify access to public sanitary facilities. It is now increasingly recommended to include gender-neutral individual toilets in new buildings in order to meet the requirements of a diverse society.

A look at Germany shows that since the gender entry “diverse” was introduced in 2018, preventive measures to avoid discrimination have also been initiated there. However, the legal framework is not yet clearly defined everywhere.

In this context, it will be exciting to observe whether and how the toilet situations in Vienna will change. The need for a fair, just solution is there - now it is up to those responsible to set the right course.