Unisex toilet debacle
TROUBLING: Proposed unisex toilets in SA schools
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has hit back amid a backlash of its proposal document on gender inclusivity in schools.
In a statement on Wednesday, it expressed disappointment about the portrayal of the proposal to the public.
“This is a matter blown out of proportion, which may have arisen from the consultations that are currently under way on the Guidelines for the Socio-educational Inclusion of Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) in Schools.
“The narrow focus on ‘unisex toilets’ is unfortunate as it misses the bigger debate on the elimination of gender discrimination in all spheres of society and specifically creating a socially conducive and welcoming environment in schools,” the DBE said.
It said in addition, the document was drafted due to the litigation that provincial education departments had to deal with relating to gender discrimination.
It comes amid the backlash the department received from activist groups, religious leaders and political parties.
A petition titled ‘No to unisex bathroom for schools in South Africa’ was started on Change.org with the aim of gathering 75 000 signatures. By yesterday, it had received over 71 000 signatures.
The National Freedom Party (NFP) also condemned the DBE’s proposal to introduce unisex toilets.
The NFP said many children were still using pit latrines, there was poor infrastructure in schools, and four out of every 10 kids who started Grade 1 did not finish Grade 12.
“Instead of focusing on these issues, the department wants to tackle obscure issues. The minister has a skewed set of priorities,” the party said.
NFP parliamentary leader Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam said it respected an individual’s right to choose their lifestyle.
However, he added, the introduction of unisex toilets fails to grasp the seriousness of teenage pregnancies at schools.
“The latest adolescent pregnancy data from Statistics SA shows that 90 037 girls aged 10 to 19 gave birth from March 2021 to April 2022,” he explained.
“Unisex toilets provide just another venue for teenagers to engage in sexual activity.”