Bristol University graduates sick of long loo queues bring 'Peequal' women's urinals to Glastonbury
Two Bristol University graduates tired of seeing women wait in long queues for festival loos have brought their solution to Glastonbury.
Co-founders Hazel McShane and Amber Probyn created female urinals for festivals and large events so women can avoid being caught short.
'Peequal' was started by the pair in 2019 after they graduated from university, and they now run the urinals at various festivals across the UK.
Their aim is to remove gender inequality they see in the disparate lengths of men's and women's toilet queues at festivals - and to empower women to feel comfortable in a urinal environment too.
Co-founder Ms McShane, 25, told ITV News West Country that "a lifetime of queueing for the loo" inspired the concept.
She said: "We just thought, surely there's a better way.
"One of our most basic and fundamental needs - needing to pee - is secondary to men's. Why should we waste our time queueing? We've paid the same price for a ticket."
The pair built the prototypes themselves, with the help of a few friends.
The concept is simple - enter the cubicle, squat and pee. There is even a bar for you to hold onto while you squat.
It started as a master's project at Bristol University.
"We were just chatting to women asking what do they want so we can actually make something they can use," Ms McShane said.
The idea behind it is to speed up women's loo visits at festivals - funneling those who need to urinate only away from the long queues for sit-down portable loos.
Users at Glastonbury can attest to its success.
Festival-goer Holly, 64, used the female urinals for the first time at Glastonbury this year. She said: "It was the best wee I've ever had. And very good for the glutes.
"Its female only and it's just so easy. Good for the thighs, especially at my age. I think I might install one in my garden," she added.
Ms McShane also overheard a Peequal success story from Glastonbury.
"Yesterday I overheard a woman beat her partner back from the toilet queue, and that is just great," she said.
They are run by volunteers from the charity Water Aid, who have a partnership with Glastonbury Festival and Peequal.
Monique is one of the volunteers who helps women get acquainted with the squat-and-pee system.
She said: "I use them myself. It's so good because it's so fast, you don't need to touch anything and people just come in and out to avoid queues."
Monique told ITV News female festival-goers with full bladders are loving the innovation.
"It has been really popular", she said.
"In the afternoons when the bigger bands come and play it's just manic. It was non-stop yesterday."
The start up is also sustainability focused- which plays into the green ethos of Glastonbury Festival.
"It's providing quick and safe spaces for women and also creating a sustainable place too, said Ms McShane.
She explains the base tank structures are designed using ocean waste plastic, and they flat pack the urinals for travel so they can fit more in one articulated lorry.
Before Glastonbury, Peequal was at Bristol festival Love Saves The Day, and the duo hope to scale up the project to bring it as far away as South Korea, India and Malaysia in the future.
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