IWD 2021 – Lean In Circles Workshop
Are you sitting comfortably?
Over the last 100 years a repeated theme has been the lack of sanitary facilities for women being used as a reason to reject them when applying for jobs.
- ‘Respectable’ women couldn’t relieve themselves in streets or alleys as men did – London’s first public toilets were built for the 1851 Great Exhibition
- Lack of access to toilets effectively tied women to their homes, putting them on a ‘leash as long as their bladder capacity’
This silent discrimination continues in many countries around the world. In 2012, female demonstrators in India marked International Women’s Day by storming men’s public toilets in the city of Nagpur, protesting inadequate numbers of bathrooms for women
In 2021, the UK Government has been running a Toilet Consultation to consider ‘the ratio of female toilets needed versus the number for men, given the need for women to always use cubicles’ … and to ‘take into account the needs of all members of the community, to ensure there is a fair provision of accessible and gender-neutral toilets’.
They acknowledge that even in 2021, women often face excessive queues for toilets or do not have access to appropriate facilities. In some cases, this can mean women are reluctant to go out or take trips – so no progress from the 19th century.
Lean In Circles Workshop
Thursday 18th March 1pm-2pm
In this workshop you will have the opportunity to:
- Connect with other women through small group discussions to share your struggles, give and get advice and celebrate each other’s wins.
- Discuss and select a #ChooseToChallenge action card making a pledge for action to support and empower other female employees all year round.
Link to join the workshop via Microsoft Teams: Click here to join the meeting
We very much look forward to seeing you there.
LUCU Committee