Campaign comes amid a nationwide debate over gender equality sparked by a court ruling on public urination
Women in the Netherlands have been posting photos of themselves in public urinals in protest at a recent court case.
Last week, a 23-year-old woman in Amsterdam was fined 90 euros for urinating in public.
The woman argued that the nearest public toilet was a couple of kilometres away and that she had used an alleyway as a last resort, but the judge said she should have used one of the men’s urinals.
Scores of women shared pictures of themselves on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram demonstrating the impossibility of using a public urinal built for men under the hashtag #zeikwijf – a Dutch word meaning “a woman who urinates.”
Hoge nood en alleen een urinoir… #hoedan #actiezeikwijf pic.twitter.com/MJTBjMEdVT
— Sabine Schipper (@SabineKSchipper) September 23, 2017
#zeikwijf pic.twitter.com/EiYZmPrwCA
— Tamar Doorduin (@Tamardoorduin) September 23, 2017
Hang in there! Niet te doen dus. #actiezeikwijf #zeikwijf #sterielehandschoenen #zosmerig #nietvoordepoes pic.twitter.com/345DyNgn6i
— Fleur Constandse (@FleurConstandse) September 23, 2017
mariannethieme</a> door jouw outfit geïnspireerd heb ik geprobeerd op een urinoir te plassen. Ging niet! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/actiezeikwijf?src=hash">#actiezeikwijf</a> <a href="https://t.co/KDP0DZ9wSa">pic.twitter.com/KDP0DZ9wSa</a></p>— Priscilla Smith (Prissesje) September 23, 2017
These are our disapproving faces about gender inequality. Thanks
uniloo</a> for coming out to talk toilet politics! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/actiezeikwijf?src=hash">#actiezeikwijf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peeproud?src=hash">#peeproud</a>! <a href="https://t.co/rIMwa7aSvS">pic.twitter.com/rIMwa7aSvS</a></p>— The Loo Lady (theloolady) September 23, 2017
#zeikwijf. Let’s not even try. Anatomy, you know… pic.twitter.com/YtAJgUACBL
— wordyvonwritish (@Wordywritish) September 23, 2017
While intentionally tongue-in-cheek, organizers stressed that there was a serious message behind the photos.
The court ruling has sparked a nationwide debate about sexism, with protesters arguing that the ratio of public toilet facilities available to men and women is disproportionate.
In central Amsterdam, there are 35 public urinals for men compared to just three toilets designed for women.
Organisers of the campaign now plan to deliver the photos to Jet Bussemaker, the Dutch minister for Education, Culture and Science, along with a petition calling for “urination equality.”