By Huang Yi-ching and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Only 3.4 percent of gender-friendly restrooms meet standards set by the Ministry of Environment, the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights said.
Most gender-neutral restrooms were installed before it established its gender-friendly restroom expansion action plan, the ministry said.
The Environmental Management Association set up gender-inclusive restroom certification at the end of last month, it said.
The ministry launched its action plan for gender-friendly restrooms in August last year and budgeted NT$280 million (US$8.96 million) to double the number of such facilities within five years, from 623 to 1,246.
The alliance inspected 149 of the restrooms listed by the ministry and found that only 54 met "basic gender-friendly restroom principles."
If additional requirements are considered, including posting signs about gender-friendly concepts, only five restrooms passed, less than 3.4 percent, it said.
The alliance called on the ministry to establish and enforce clear standards, and reclaim subsidies if restrooms fail to meet requirements.
When the ministry launched its action plan, it said that only 1.4 percent of public restrooms nationwide were gender inclusive.
The plan was established to ensure that no one is left behind and to promote gender-friendly policies in public spaces, the ministry said.
The goal is to help people easily identify certified gender-inclusive restrooms and encourage more venues to create and improve them, it said.
Environmental Management Association official Lee Jui-ling (李瑞玲) said that the plan provides local governments with subsidies to promote gender equality.
The plan is not a legal regulation, nor does it have a set inspection schedule or timeline, Lee said.
Most registered gender-friendly restrooms existed before the plan was implemented, and efforts to improve them would continue through guidance and subsidies, she said.
Subsidy priority would be given to authorities that are promoting gender-friendly restrooms rather than making general repairs, she said.
Concerns raised by the alliance align with the goals of the action plan, the ministry said, adding that it welcomes input to help build a more inclusive society.
Promoting gender-friendly restrooms requires participation and cooperation among government agencies and private organizations, it added.