Ikea manuals accused of sex discrimination

[Amelia]

Ikea manuals accused of sex discrimination

11 March 2005

OSLO: Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA is guilty of sex discrimination by showing only men putting together furniture in its instruction manuals, Norway's prime minister says.

IKEA, which has more than 200 stores in 32 nations, fears it might offend Muslims by depicting women assembling everything from cupboards to beds. Its manuals show only men or cartoon figures whose sex is unclear.

"This isn't good enough," Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was quoted on Thursday as telling the daily Verdens Gang. "It's important to promote attitudes for sexual equality, not least in Muslim nations."

"They should change this," he said. "There's no justification for it."

IKEA stores are visited by 365 million people a year around the world. Many products have to be assembled by the buyer – the "flat pack" concept saves the company huge amounts in transport, storage and sales space.

Bondevik added: "I myself have great problems with screwing together such furniture."

Verdens Gang quoted an IKEA spokeswoman as saying: "We have to take account of cultural factors. In Muslim countries it's problematic to use women in instruction manuals."

IKEA was not immediately available for comment.

[Dr. Shane]

Sounds like someone wants to start a holy war over furniture manuals. Wow. I have heard of no blood for oil but now we better start saying no blood for assembly manuals.