News that a Dutch woman was fined €90 (A$133) after being caught urinating in an alleyway in central Amsterdam has sparked an online debate about sexism.
Geerte Piening, 23, found herself caught short without a public toilet after a night out drinking with friends in Amsterdam in 2015, the BBC reports.
There are only three public toilets designed for women in Amsterdam, compared to 35 public urinals for men. With the bars and restaurants now closed, and the nearest public toilet a couple of kilometres away, Piening decided to relieve herself in a side street.
She was caught by three police officers, who issued her with the fine.
"At the time I really didn't want to get involved in a discussion. But the next day I thought, just a minute, I'm going to fight this," she said.
Geerte Piening Source: Twitter/AD/Jean-Pierre Jans
The male judge told her she should have used one of the men's urinals rather than urinating in public - an offence which is known as 'wildplassen' in Dutch.
The hashtag #wildplassen has taken off on social media, with many people expressing support for Piening and her stance.
A Facebook event has also been set up inviting women to protest by taking up the judge's challenge of using the men's urinals.
So far, more than 1,100 people have indicated they will be taking part, with 8,000 showing their interest in the event.
"It wasn't my intention that this would become an enormous feminist thing," Piening told the AD newspaper.
"On the other hand, it's good it's being addressed."
