Next

Elisabeth

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In the women’s clothing department of Next, Charing Cross, London on a Saturday afternoon. There are a handful of other shoppers, predominantly female. There are three male workers, aged late 20s to mid 30s, putting out stock. They are talking about a female colleague who works at another branch – Cheapside – and her booty and how amazing it is, using sounds to suggest their approval of her bottom. I said “Are you honestly discussing a female and her body in a female clothes shop? How disrespectful, that is unbelievable.” Not one of them said a word. I walked out. I then decided to go back in to report it and was given an apology.

Sarah

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Two recent examples of Every Day Sexism: I walk into Next and ask where the suits are (OK, so not everyone has to wear suits to work nowadays, but some of use do) and they direct me to the men’s department! Can understand why the young, female shop assistant is confused as the men’s department has 20 different suits and the women’s only 2. But honestly, do I look like a man? Or is the assumption that I would only be buying a suit for a man? And, Next, please stock more women’s suits – you used to have loads. Secondly, I ring a company about managed ‘executive’ accommodation when working away from home. The guy on the phone says that that they are all men in the building, except one woman, who is the family nanny. When I say I work in IT He says “Do you work on the helpdesk?” “No,” I tell him, “I work as a senior analyst programmer.” OK, so only one out of 10 IT workers are women, and that’s bad enough, but the assumption seems to be that the women who do work in IT must of course work on the Helpdesk. He can stick his executive accommodation.