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SEXISM

Madrid just banned ‘manspreading’ on all public transport

Madrid’s transport authorities are clamping down on ‘manspreading’ - the common practice that sees men take up more space than they need to by sitting with their legs wide open.

Published: 7 June 2017 13:42 CEST
Madrid just banned ‘manspreading’ on all public transport
Manspreading is when men invade others personal space with their wide open legs. Photo: Nevermindtheend / Flickr

The Municipal Transportation Company (EMT) announced that it will be incorporating new signage across all trains, metros and buses to dissuade “manspreaders” from adopting their annoying pose.

The icon of a red stick man sitting with his legs wide apart will appear next to signs warning against smoking, eating, putting feet on seats and dropping litter and appears with the words “Respect the space of others”

READ MORE: Benidorm bar slammed over ad for 'barmaids without boyfriends'

“The new information icon indicates the prohibition of taking a seating position that bothers other people,” explained the EMT in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“It’s to remind transport users to maintain civic responsibility and respect the personal space of everyone on board”.

Feminist group Mujeres en Lucha launched a change.org petition on Monday and the hashtag #MadridSinManspreading soon went viral.

“Manspreading is the practice of certain men sitting with their legs wide open on public transport, taking up other people’s space,” reads the petition. “It is not something that occurs sporadically, if you pay attention you’ll see that it is a very common practice.

“It’s not difficult to see women with their legs shut and very uncomfortable because there is a man next to them who is invading their space with his legs.”

Madrid is following in the footsteps of enlightened cities such as New York, which in 2014, ran a poster campaign on its subway with the slogan “Dude, Stop the spread please”.

READ ALSO: Madrid gets gay friendly traffic lights

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.

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