A shopping mall in China has sparked accusations of sexism after it recently unveiled 10 parking spots designed for women only.
Painted in pink, the spots at the World Metropolis Center in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian say “Respectfully reserved for women” and are about 30 centimeters wider than other parking places.
The parking spots have outraged some netizens, who called them sexist and disrespectful. On Twitter, one commenter wrote, “Not sure if I should laugh or cry.” On Weibo, a microblogger questioned, “Isn’t that insulting females’ driving ability?”
A female staffer at the mall rejected such claims. “It’s not an insult to women at all,” mall manager Yang Hongjun told AFP in a report carried by the Shanghai Daily. “If their parking spaces are larger, it’s only for practical reasons. It doesn’t mean that women drive less well than men.”
Some commenters hailed the wider spots, saying women are bad drivers, while others said that women should appreciate the convenience. A Weibo commenter in Guangzhou wrote, “Lots of praise! ‘Taking good care of’ is not a synonym for ‘discrimination,’ right?”