Viennese woman sues city over 'discriminatory' toilet fees

A Viennese woman, Melanie Gradik, is taking legal action against the city council for allegedly discriminating against women by charging them to use public toilets while men can use urinals for free. While out in a park with a male friend, Gradik noticed that she had to pay 50 cents to use a cubicle but her friend was able to use a free urinal.

Gradik believes that either everyone should pay to use the toilets or no one should, stressing that the issue is not about the money but rather about equality. She filed a complaint against the municipality, arguing that the practice of charging women for toilet access violates the city's anti-discrimination laws. Her lawyer, Petra Laback, noted that the availability of free urinals for men creates an unequal situation.

If Gradik wins her case, it could set a precedent across Austria. Currently, Vienna has 168 publicly managed toilet facilities, with 139 being free to use. The 29 facilities that charge a fee do so because they employ toilet attendants, according to the city authorities. Law professor Anna Gamper of the University of Innsbruck argues that there is no objective justification for charging women more for using public toilets, as the cost of building, maintaining, and cleaning cubicles and urinals is essentially the same.