Nursery rooms in men’s toilets trigger debate

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A decision by airport authorities in Beijing to designate nursery rooms in men's toilets as family restrooms has ignited a debate about the appropriateness of the decision.

One mother, Mrs Wang, told the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper that nursery rooms at Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport are located in men’s toilets.

“The men outside made me nervous as I was feeding my child,” Wang was quoted as saying on Friday, adding that it was hard for her to understand the arrangement.

The airport responded by saying that “there is not enough space in the women’s toilets,” but later in the afternoon clarified that “the rooms are actually family restrooms.”

One of the nursery rooms is only two meters away from the urinals, according to the newspaper.

Many mothers choose to leave instead of using the rooms, a cleaner at the airport said.

“It is more or less embarrassing,” a passenger said.

The interior of the nursery room located in men's toilet‍ at Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport /Beijing Youth Daily Photo

Chinese Internet users weighed in on the issue, with many of them critical of the airport.

“It is a perfunctory project. They don’t really think for the sake of mothers and babies,” Fengjixuchui commented on the news published by the Shanghai-based website thepaper.cn.

“Then why does the airport rent rooms to shops [if there is not enough space]?” said Wangzishushu on the same website.

Others focused on a possible solution, suggesting the creation of unisex toilets.

Complaints have also been made about a strong smell of smoke in the nursery rooms. As a result, no-smoking notices have been posted on the doors.

Journalists visited a nursery room at Terminal 1 of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on the opening day in March. /Takungpao Photo

An official guidance issued in 2016 by National Health and Family Planning Commission of China states that nursery rooms occupying an area of no less than ten square meters should be built in transportation junctions, as long as the airports and railway stations have an area of 10,000 square meters and are frequently visited by mothers and babies.

Beijing Capital International Airport has 103 nursery rooms and 124 family restrooms in total at the three terminals. Nursery rooms in Terminal 1 and 3 are located in either women’s toilets or single rooms.