Russian firm offers females Rs. 106 bonus for wearing skirts
In a highly controversial initiative, a Russian company is trying to return to the golden age of strict gender roles. Remember when women couldn't vote? So blissful, amirite? (This was sarcasm. Don't come for me.) So, Tatprof, an aluminium manufacturer, is organizing a 'femininity marathon' until the end of June, where they ask their female staff to wear skirts and makeup to get bonuses.
Women staffers must send pictures to company to claim reward
Tatprof is reportedly encouraging their female staff to wear a dress or a skirt that is "no longer than five centimeters from the knee" to receive a cash bonus of 100 roubles (Rs. 106) a day, over their regular wages. The company lists this as a team building initiative. To receive the reward, women staffers must send a picture of themselves to the company.
'Our team is 70% male. This helps us switch off'
"We wanted to brighten up our work days," a company spokesperson told the radio station Govorit Moskva, denying accusations of sexism. "Our team is 70 percent male. These kinds of campaigns help us switch off, rest. This is a great way to unite the team," the spokesperson added. Sure! Nothing sexist about that. Just your regular ole' female objectification. Happens everywhere!
Campaign will allow women to 'feel their femininity'
"Many women automatically wear trousers to work, which is why we hope that our campaign will raise our ladies' awareness, allowing them to feel their femininity and charm when they make the choice of wearing a skirt or dress," the spokesperson said.
'News from the Middle Ages': Russian journalist
The response to the move hasn't been positive, with people hitting out at Tatprof- a supplier for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2018 Football World Cup- for their "horrible treatment of women" A Twitter user described the move as a "disgusting abuse of power." Prominent Russian journalist Zalina Marshenkulova also dragged the initiative, calling it "news from the Middle Ages."
Dumpling contest for women; pull-ups for men
Tatprof organized other events under its 'femininity marathon'; including a competition to see which woman can make dumplings the fastest. For men, they held a pull-up contest last week. They claimed the scheme isn't sexist, adding that 60 women have already participated. Erm, that's probably because this is the only way you would let them come close to bridging the gender pay gap, dimwit.
The CEO is apparently 'very concerned' about mixing gender roles
Anastasia Kirillova, who works in Tatprof's corporate culture and internal communications' department, said the initiative is CEO Sergei Rachkov's brainchild who is "very concerned about this issue- mixing gender roles." Not shocking to have come from a country where the head of the state jokes about rape, demeans women for menstruating, and brags that Russian sex workers "are undoubtedly the best in the world."
'He really wants to maintain the female essence'
"He really wants to maintain the female essence in every female employee of the company, so that young women do not have male haircuts, do not change into trousers, so that they engage themselves in handicraft, project all their warmth into raising children," Kirillova added.
