January 06, 2014
A Tablet For Women, or in Other Words...Modern Sexism
So it's called the ePad Femme (as if that doesn't sound a lot like iPad) and it is manufactured by a Dubai-based Eurostar group. The company's VP has declared they are not sexist.
The press photos show something entirely different. Their pre-selected apps include 4 yoga and fitness apps, three cooking apps, three shopping apps, and one for the woman who simply can't figure out how to work it. The best ones (and by best I mean most sexist) are: "Women's Assistant (logo is a scale wrapped in a tape measure)", "Finest Perfume for Women", "Daily Yoga", and "Women's Fitness." You know I'm really not sure why on earth you'd need four fitness apps...or why there isn't something called a CALENDAR you know for those of us that have to work.
So the company came out and said it wasn't sexist. Mani Nair, Associate Vice President for Marketing at Eurostar Group, told the Jerusalem Post that because of all of those pre-loaded apps, "It makes a perfect gadget for a woman who might find difficulties in terms of downloading these applications and it is a quick reference.
"However, Eman Al Nafjan, a Saudi feminist blogger, feels that this is just another way to give women information targeted at pleasing their husband. She explained that many women are tech-savvy, and in countries like Saudi Arabia, women spend a lot of time online since they are not allowed to drive or travel without a male relative."
So you aren't sexist. Ok. Well what's sexism then? According to Dictionary.com it is "attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles." What are a woman's traditional roles in Middle Eastern society? Taking care of her family, pleasing her husband, maintaing a beautiful body, and dressing well. Looks like that covers all of those handy-dandy pre-loaded apps. It's almost as if the company is trying to send the signal for women to stop fooling around with other technology that isn't suited for their roles.
Sexism and gender roles for the future?