Diaper-change facility in men’s room at KIA wins praises

KIA’s effort to break gender stereotype caught netizens’ attention after a post by a passenger went viral on Twitter

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) was trending on social media recently for a different reason: a diaper-change facility in the men’s restroom.

Lauded by men and women, the revelation, spotted and shared by an airport passenger, attracted applause from social media users. The passenger, sharing a photo of the facility, narrated how he would be in a fix at airports and public places, barring the one at Mumbai — which has family restrooms — when he was travelling with his young daughter. The passenger, Nikhil Lanjewar, also wrote, “Babycare has for long been considered a woman’s responsibility. That’s changing for good. The next thing we need are gender neutral restrooms.”

This was ended up being shared by his friend, who wrote: “Needs to be celebrated. Spotted in a men’s washroom at @BLRAirport — a diaper change station. Childcare is not just a woman’s responsibility.”

The flood of comments included many bouquets: “Excellent job. I felt the need and communicated the same to the authorities in Guwahati airport recently,” said one Twitter user, while another said, “This should be the norm everywhere rather than the exception.”

As is the norm in the online space, there were some negative comments too, with some even questioning the Twitter user who had shared the post — a woman — why she was in the men’s room, forcing Mr. Lanjewar to clarify.

Asked for a response, a BIAL spokesperson clarified to The Hindu that the facility has been in existence since 2014. "As an organisation, BIAL has always encouraged gender neutrality and has upheld inclusive practices. The diaper changing rooms in the men’s washrooms at BLR Airport have been operational since 2014 when Terminal (T1) underwent an expansion. There is a lot of importance given to hygiene and maintenance of the rooms keeping in mind the well-being and safety of our infant travellers. We are glad that our passengers have applauded our efforts," the spokesperson said.