Work

ENTANGLED PUBLIC ESSENTIALS : Female Perspectives on Public Toilets in Portugal and How to Propel Change

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Women living in more affluent urban contexts have poor access to sanitary infrastructures owing to a lack of female public toilets. Existing toilets are often poorly maintained, and their design does not suit women’s daily needs. In this essay I use a mixed‐methods approach that combines the analysis of documents and secondary sources with the use of ethnographic methodologies. My goal is to understand not only how public toilets in Portugal are designed and maintained, but also to make sense of how women perceive public toilets in urban settings and whether these toilets are designed to fulfil the needs of the population they are supposed to serve.

Source: International Journal of Urban and Regional Research

DOI: 10.1111/1468-2427.70056

Author: Bruna Coelho

Language: English

Topic: Gender Studies and Social Issues

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,150

Funders: Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, Fulbright Portugal