On 31 July, Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) will start changing part of the toilets at Woudestein Campus into all gender toilets. A total of 27 toilet groups in the education buildings will be adapted. The remaining toilets will remain men's/women's toilets, so everyone can choose the toilet that feels most comfortable for them.
Why all gender toilets?
When you go into the men's toilet as a woman (or vice versa), it might feel uncomfortable, as if you are out of place there or could get strange looks. For people who do not feel (fully) male or female, it may also feel uncomfortable to use a men's or women's toilet because they do not identify as either male or female.
Our university values inclusiveness and is actively committed to removing implicit and explicit barriers that may hinder full participation in the academic community. The lack of all gender toilets can also be such a barrier; therefore, all gender toilets are now being realised.
Where will the all gender toilets be located?
In the following buildings, some toilets will be adapted to all gender toilets:
- Erasmus Building;
- G Building;
- Langeveld Building;
- Mandeville Building;
- P Building (PT);
- Polak Building;
- Sanders Building;
- Theil Building;
- University Library;
- V Building;
- Van der Goot Building.
No renovations are needed to change the toilets; the existing toilets will be designated differently. In each building, the toilets on the lowest floor where toilets can be found become all gender toilets. This is often the ground floor, but if there are no toilets on the ground floor, the toilets on the first floor will become all gender toilets. The toilets on the other floors remain men's or women's toilets.
Education buildings
For the time being, all gender toilets are only being realised in education buildings. Office buildings and office floors will follow later. The IDEA Centre is working on creating a structural policy for all gender toilets at our university.