The potty parity problem: Towards gender equality at restrooms in business facilities. (December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huh, Woonghee Tim; Lee, Jaywon; Park, Heesang; Park, Kun Soo
• Is Part Of: Socio-economic planning sciences. Number 68(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Subjects: Gender equality -- Potty parity -- Ethics in OR -- Queueing; Planning -- Periodicals; Economic policy -- Periodicals; Social policy -- Periodicals; Planification -- Périodiques; Politique économique -- Périodiques; Politique sociale -- Périodiques; ECONOMIC PLANNING; SOCIAL PLANNING; DECISION-MAKING; 361
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2018.11.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-0121

Abstract

Abstract: In business facilities such as theaters, restaurants, stadiums, and etc., anecdotal evidences suggest that waiting lines for women's restrooms are longer than those for men's. Respectively, there have been growing concerns on ensuring restrooms in business facilities to be equally convenient for both women and men. This issue not only relates to gender equality, but also relates to business performance, since restroom experience directly affects performance efficiency (e.g., revenues, repeat sales, asset turnover, service times, and etc.). Nonetheless, current codes and legislations for designing restrooms in business facilities are not based on objective analyses but on the survey of experts that may be male biased. In this study, we develop a quantitative model using queueing theory and simulations to evaluate the waiting time for restrooms. Using our model, we compare the waiting times between women and men to examine if the current codes and legislations provide equal access. Our analysis reveals that the current standard specified by the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) still fails to achieve equal access. The methods demonstrated in this study may serve as a basis for design of restrooms in business facilities and improve both gender equality and performance efficiency in business facilities. Highlights: We compare the waiting times between women and men to examine if the current codes and legislations provide equal access. We develop a quantitative model using queueing theory and simulations to evaluate the waiting times. Our analysis reveals that the current standard fails to achieve equal access. We aim to achieve equality in waiting experience across genders and propose a measure of waiting time for potty parity. We develop a facility design guideline to achieve potty parity in terms of the proposed measure.