Unisex public toilets (also called gender-inclusive, gender-neutral or all-gender toilets) are public toilets that are not separated by gender. Unisex public toilets can be designed to benefit a range of people with or without special needs, for example people with disabilities, the elderly and anyone who needs the help of someone of another gender and are valuable for parents wishing to accompany one or more of their children needing a toilet facility.
Unisex public toilets can be used by people of any gender or gender identity, i.e. male, female, transgender, intersex. Gender-neutral toilet facilities can benefit transgender populations and people outside of the gender binary.
Sex segregation in public toilets, as opposed to unisex toilets, is the separation of public toilets into male and female. This separation is sometimes enforced by both city laws and building codes.
Key differences between male and female public toilets in most western countries include the presence of urinals for men and sanitary bins for the disposal of menstrual hygiene products for women.
Some unisex public toilets are designed to be used by people with disabilities. Many public toilets have either individual or gender-neutral facilities. They can accommodate people with disabilities, elderly persons who may require assistance from a carer of another gender, or other cases where public gender-segregated facilities might lead to discomfort. Toilet facilities for disabled people, especially those reliant on a wheelchair, may be either unisex or gender-specific. They could also be designed to serve as a location for women to breastfeed their babies.
Unisex public toilets are also common in cases where space is limited, such as in aircraft lavatories and passenger train toilets.