Amsterdam says no major expansion possible for women’s toilets at events

Amsterdam’s municipal authorities say they do not see room to substantially expand the number of women’s toilets at major events, according to responses to written questions submitted by the Volt faction in the city council.

Amsterdam’s municipal authorities are facing increasing pressure to tackle the so-called “urination gap,” particularly following the 2025 Canal Parade, when it became clear that men had nearly three times as many public urination options as women (588 compared with 210).

Volt argues that men still effectively have easier access to free toilets in practice, while women, the elderly, and people with disabilities face greater difficulties. According to the party, that situation is likely to persist for now.

Although additional toilets have been added at events in recent years, Alderman Melanie van der Horst says the city does not expect further significant expansion. “On peak event days, we’ve reached the practical and spatial limits of how many toilets we can place in the city,” she said.

During Pride events in Amsterdam, including the planned WorldPride 2026, the municipality intends to experiment with women’s urinals to improve flow and reduce waiting times, and also wants to introduce permanent women-friendly toilets in several parks.

In many Dutch cities, public urinals were introduced to curb male public urination, but this has also led to an uneven public toilet system. While urinals are typically free and widely available, women often have to pay to use toilets at events or in hospitality settings, with prices sometimes reaching several euros on busy days like King’s Day.

Only part of the public toilets are indicated through street signage. In practice, municipalities such as Amsterdam often rely on apps like the HogeNood app to help users locate nearby facilities.

Alongside Volt, parties including PvdA and D66 have repeatedly urged a more equitable distribution of public toilet facilities. They argue that women typically spend around twice as long using toilets, yet the available capacity still favours men.