M&S Forced To Change Toilet Signs After Complaints Of Sexism
A woman has criticised high street shop M&S for a toilet sign, complaining it is sexist and must be made 'more equal' for male and female customers.
Earlier this week, Sharon Sawyer posted a photograph from inside the chain's Holmbush store in Shoreham, West Sussex after she spotted a female toilet sign that showed a woman with a baby, while the sign for a man showed just a man – something she claims suggests only women are responsible for their children.
The image showed a blue outline of a male figure wearing a necktie, while the ladies' toilets were indicated with a pink outline of a woman, wearing a pink dress.
Because, you know, us women are always wearing pink dresses…
Sawyer took to Facebook to complain, writing: 'I was surprised and disappointed at the pictures for the toilets.
'I expected being a family store that you understood that families very much share children's needs and personal care, not just women.
'The picture shows a woman and child. The picture in the comments just shows a man, why?
Families very much share children's needs and personal care, not just women
She added: 'It has nothing to do with baby changing. They are the entrances to the male and female toilets, there are no baby changing facilities in the toilets. It's just plain sexist for all concerned, men and women. Symbols means a lot.'
Facebook user Jenni Readman commented on the post: 'The signage represents an outdated assumption that women will be the only ones taking children to the toilet as there is nowhere, according to the signage in this store, for men to take children to the toilet.'
Meanwhile, Sussex Police hate crime ambassador Sergeant Peter Allan, wrote on the Facebook thread: 'This should not be happening in 2017.
Sergeant Peter Allan, a Hate Crime and Trans Equality Advocate for Sussex Police, also commented on the post: 'Well done. As you said, a surprise from M&S and in a recent refurb.'
According to the Metro, a Marks and Spencer spokesperson responded to complaints, explaining: 'Our baby changing facilities are in a unisex area and we also provide a baby changing mat in both the male and female toilet facilities.'
The spokesperson added that the toilets had not been updated in the recent refurbishment, with the Daily Mail reporting the image of a child will be added onto the male sign in due course.
Change is a'coming.
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