More than two-thirds (72%) of women have to pay nearly 10% from their daily income to use public toilets, a study has revealed.

Yet, what they pay for what often “lacks dignity” as 61% of respondents reported no soap or hand-wash facilities, 56% claimed unclean surroundings. Also, more than half of transgenders or queer people said they faced harassment inside toilets.

Many women even reduce their water intake to avoid using unhygienic facilities, risking their health in the process, the study said.

The study by Sabar Institute and Azad Foundation highlighted a glaring gap in the city’s public infrastructure, lack of safe, hygienic, and inclusive public toilets. While urban planning has expanded transport and connectivity, the basic necessity of sanitation remains neglected, disproportionately affecting women and gender minorities.

For instance, the Howrah railway station has 33 toilets for men but only 19 for women. The Sealdah station fares slightly better, with 23 toilets for men and 24 for women, but both stations remain grossly under-equipped compared to the daily footfall of 2 million.

For women in the informal sector such as street vendors, domestic workers, and cleaners — this drawback is not just an inconvenience but a direct economic setback.

The absence of safety is another pressing concern. At least 38% women reported that toilet doors had no locks, and many sites were monitored by male staff instead of female guards, adding to their feeling of insecurity.

For women working as drivers, the crisis is even more personal. “While driving, when I get a sudden urge to urinate, I have to keep roaming around miles after miles to find a public toilet. Even Newtown is developed but lacks public toilets, Sealdah as well. Many times I had to pause trip bookings to look for toilets,” said Archana, a Pink Cab driver.

The problem is not limited to roads and railway stations. Even in government offices, toilets are often insufficient, inaccessible, or poorly maintained, as if women possess the “special ability” to hold urine for 10–14 hours.

“In a clinic, the doctor, receptionist, and patients are allowed to use the bathroom, whereas a female medical representative is restricted. She might even be pregnant and has to wait for hours to meet the doctor, yet is denied access. There is no clear reason why she is not allowed to use the bathroom, they just won’t let her,” added Swati Moitra, Assistant Professor, English Department, Gurudas College, University of Calcutta.

The study recommended interventions in terms of sanitary napkin vending machines, continuous water supply, hand wash facilities, female staff deployment, and adequate lighting.

“If a trans-man who has undergone hormone injections and grown facial hair tries to enter a ladies’ toilet, they are often rejected because women presume them to be men. However, that person may still have female reproductive organs. When asked to use the men’s toilet, they face another problem most men’s toilets only have urinals and not cubicles. Moreover, if that person starts menstruating, they won’t find any sanitary pad vending machines in the men’s toilets,” said Koyel Ghosh, managing trustee of Sappho for Equality.