Sir, – I suffered from dysmenorrhea which often resulted in an emergency dash to the toilets complete with the furtive reach into the school bag for sanitary products, or change to buy some from the vending machine.
I cannot even begin to imagine how I would have reacted in such circumstances to be confronted by a group of boys in the communal toilets.
At the very least, teenage girls, and boys, need to be afforded the dignity and privacy to allow them to move in the world without fear of humiliation.
These formative years can be very difficult for some teenagers and we must do what we can to ease any feelings of discomfort, not add to them.
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By all means, provide a block of gender-neutral toilers for those who wish to use them, but please have respect for those who need the privacy of the single-sex layout. – Yours, etc,
HELEN McGOLDRICK,
Dublin 11.
Sir, – Depending on where you live in the world, being a teenage girl in 2021 can range at times from terrifying to simply exhausting.
Single-sex spaces, such as school toilets, allow girls and women the privacy and security to have periods, get changed, or just hold onto the edge of a sink until you no longer look like you have been crying.
They also serve as spaces for girls to come together in support and friendship.
They are a vital, essential part of our well-being and should be protected and improved, not offered up for some greater good that no-one has clearly articulated. – Yours, etc,
ELIZABETH
DOYLE,
Milltown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – It is quite clear that the Department of Education did not adequately assess the evidence base before coming to its decision on this issue.
A 2016 study by the University of Wellington found that when a school in New Zealand switched to mixed-sex toilets, some girls were bringing sanitary pads and tampons home with them in their pockets and bags due to embarrassment. The removal of sex-based provision was associated with a 5 per cent increase in urinary tract infections in boys and girls.
Is this what we want for Irish schools? – Yours, etc,
NADINE
MacGOWAN,
Portumna,
Co Galway.