Changing table

Can a changing table be gendered? Well, it can if it’s only available in the restrooms labelled women/ladies. The absence of changing tables in restrooms designated for men assumes that only women are responsible for child-caring duties, such as changing diapers. This is not only an outdated gender role but leaves couples, single parents and caretakers who identify as men with no choice but to… squat?

The hashtag #squatforchange went viral in 2018 after Donte Palmer posted a photo on social media changing his youngest child’s diaper in a squat position because there was no changing table in the men’s restroom. Palmer has since continued advocating for appropriate diaper changing stations in all designated public restrooms.

As heterosexual couples also increasingly share the load (no pun intended), the frustration with this poorly designed aspect of public bathrooms has increased, mobilising change in different corners of the world.