Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

SEXISM

Ikea vows to redesign ‘sexist’ baby changing signs in Spanish stores

Ikea has promised to redesign its labelling for baby changing facilities at stores across Spain after accusations of “sexism”.

Published: 7 December 2016 12:53 CET
Ikea vows to redesign 'sexist' baby changing signs in Spanish stores
Photo: @punyet / Twitter

Several shoppers complained that the sign, showing a stick figure in a skirt changing a baby, excluded fathers and implied that changing a nappy was a woman-only job.

One father tweeted: ” Can I go in and change my daughter? Or is this just a woman thing?”

A woman wrote: “Wearing a skirt? Really?”

The store responded with a pledge to swap the signage for a more inclusive symbol.

“We are changing this symbol for one that equally represents dads and mums,” said the Ikea Spain store.

 

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

SPORT

Norwegians give short shrift to fine for women’s handball team

Norwegian officials reacted sharply on Tuesday after the country's women's beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms in competition.

Published: 20 July 2021 16:39 CEST
Norwegians give short shrift to fine for women's handball team
Norway's Stine Ruscetta Skogrand (L) vies with Montenegro's Vukcevic Nikolina (C) and Ema Ramusovic (R) during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women's qualifying handball match between Montenegro and Norway in Podgorica on March 19, 2021. (Photo by SAVO PRELEVIC / AFP)

The Disciplinary Committee of the European Handball Federation (EHF) on Monday fined the Norway 1,500 euros ($1,768), or 150 euros per player, after they wore shorts in their bronze-medal match loss to Spain at the European Beach Handball Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, on Sunday.

“In 2021, it shouldn’t even be an issue,” the president of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation, Eirik Sordahl, told national news agency NTB.

Clothing has long been an issue in beach sports, with some women players finding bikinis degrading or impractical.

While bikinis have not been compulsory for beach volleyball players since 2012, International Handball Federation (IHF) rules state “female athletes must wear bikini bottoms” and that these must have “a close fit”, be “cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a side depth of no more than 10 centimetres.

Male players wear shorts.

READ MORE: Norwegian female beach handballers scrap bikini in spite of rules

“It’s completely ridiculous,” Norway’s Minister for Culture and Sports, Abid Raja, tweeted after Monday’s ruling. “What a change of attitude is needed in the macho and conservative international world of sport.”

Ahead of the tournament, Norway asked the EHF for permission to play in shorts, but were told that breaches of the rules were punishable by fines.

They complied, until their last match.

“The EHF is committed to bring this topic forward in the interest of its member federations, however it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” EHF spokesman Andrew Barringer said in an email.

SHOW COMMENTS