No females allowed! Women shelved in Ikea's Saudi catalogue

Sweden's Ikea home furnishing retailer has caused an uproar in its home country, after airbrushing women and girls out of its Saudi Arabian catalogue.



Daily Mail Collection of before and after images

A version of Ikea's yearly catalogue, published on its Saudi website, shows images that are identical to those in other editions except for one detail: the women are gone.

The removal of women from the pages of the Saudi edition, including a young girl who was pictured studying at her desk, has prompted a strong response from Swedes, who pride themselves on egalitarian policies and a narrow gender gap.

A spokeswoman for Ikea says the company is looking into the issue and speaking with its Saudi franchise holder.

ABC News

Sweden's trade minister has criticised the removal of women, while Swedish EU minister Birgitta Ohlsson has described it as medieval.

Trade minister Ewa Bjoerling said: "You can't remove or airbrush women out of reality."

"If Saudi Arabia does not allow women to be seen or heard or to work, they are letting half their intellectual capital go to waste," she said.

Her sentiment was echoed by Swedish European Union minister Birgitta Ohlsson, who branded the incident "medieval".

ABC News

The Saudi Arabian catalogue reflects that country's cultural norms in that women require permission from a male guardian before traveling or receiving medical care and being banned from driving. Strict rules of gender segregation apply.

Saudi Women who have received permission to leave the house getting a lift to go shopping

That is some impressive photoshop skills Maybe they did this in light of their bombing new prices!

damn what a country... why would anyone edit out girls?... im surprised they didn't replace the girl with a guy seeing as though they appear to favor man more, the woman in that country need to rebel for equality... sheeshh its 2012 and this is still going on in the world.

I don't see anything wrong with this. They're probably just trying to protect the fabric of their society and not have their men lusting after females who aren't their wives. To each culture its own I say.

And I have to agree, those photoshop skills are amazing.

I don't get why so many have criticized IKEA over this. They try their best to satisfy all cultures and people blame them. Simply just lame. Criticize and "you want trouble", do nothing and "you are irresponsible". Here someone finds a way to play it safe to not make the situation down there any worse and still it's a problem.
How the heck are we supposed to know what to do when everything is wrong?

Originally posted by Socrato
I don't see anything wrong with this. They're probably just trying to protect the fabric of their society and not have their men lusting after females who aren't their wives. To each culture its own I say.

And I have to agree, those photoshop skills are amazing.

You nailed it friend.
This country has THEIR defined role of the 2 sexes.

Originally posted by Socrato
I don't see anything wrong with this. They're probably just trying to protect the fabric of their society and not have their men lusting after females who aren't their wives. To each culture its own I say.

Hey maybe you are right. If men want to treat women in that way and the women are happy, who are we to tell them what to do?

At least the women have enough children to maintain the population, unlike in the West.

reply to post by camouflaged
Yeah! Those backward idiots! Don't they know that women should be pushed to the forefront of any merchandising article from cars to beer and that they should be long legged and breastly endowed to the max?

You ever think about double-standards?

Ikea is discusting, they will do anything for a money.I will like to see Pat Condell response about this