Is it sexist against women to keep public loos shut?

As many claim they’re stuck at home due to lack of facilities...

No Man would ever pick ‘clean toilets in Central London’ as his Mastermind specialist subject. But I would, and my score would be impressively high.

As the owner of a midlife bladder, I need to know where I can pop to if I’m out and about for more than a couple of hours. Top tip: a McDonald’s will always have a clean loo.

Midlife women around the country will have the equivalent knowledge about their areas, as urinary incontinence affects up to 40 per cent of us. Symptoms range from the inconvenient ( frequent loo stops) to the debilitating (not being able to get to the loo in time).

no one in charge of Loo Lockdown thought of that, of course. or should I say no man in charge of Loo Lockdown, because a woman would have understood the implications of shutting not just public toilets, but the department stores, pubs and cafes that so many of us rely on.

All the jolly things we can do again — seeing friends in parks, going for long walks — are still off limits to many women due to a lack of loos.

If 40 per cent of middle-aged men felt they couldn’t be away from home for more than an hour or so without being caught short, would we be having this debate? of course not. But no man has ever had to plan an afternoon’s walk around where to find the best comfort breaks, or have a ‘safety stop’ before a car journey.

no man has ever looked at a trampoline at a children’s party and thought ‘Better not’ for personal reasons. And if a man does get caught short, the physical logistics are pretty straightforward. not so for women.

So yes, this is very much a women’s issue. Female incontinence is caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor. It’s common in midlife, thanks to a drop in oestrogen. And though public loos may be closed, biology doesn’t stop.

I know it’s a question of hygiene, due to Covid. But while we can’t control how often facilities are cleaned, we must trust that women can alter their habits regarding hand-washing and touching taps or flushes.

When High Streets start opening up, I will return with caution to my trusted loo stops. Until then, access to clean public toilets is the only way to avoid having to resort to a more adventurous option during my walks on Hampstead Heath. I’m not happy about this, but the only alternative is being virtually housebound.

So come on gentlemen, have a little solidarity. We all feel the call of nature. Let’s get public toilets reopened.

SASKA Graville is founder of mpoweredwomen.net, a wellbeing site for midlife women.

We can’t leave women virtually housebound’