IKEA Thinks Their Swedish Women are Too Sexy for Saudi Arabia Catalog!
IKEA’s latest ads have sparked outrage after the Saudi version of its catalog airbrushed out all the women showcasing the furniture! Swedish newspaper Metro was the first to spot the difference between the Saudi and Swedish version of the product catalog. This finding has resulted in questions over IKEA’s stand on the equality between men and women.
Amidst the controversy, IKEA Group deemed it right to apologize for the blunder. They admitted that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog is in conflict with the IKEA Group values. Furthermore, the company said that they support fundamental human rights of all people and they do not allow discrimination.
You can find some of these IKEA photos in the online version of the Saudi new 2013 IKEA catalog and it’s easy to see that the women have really been removed. One photo of a family in the bathroom shows a woman brushing her teeth with her son on the sink but in the Saudi version the woman is missing! The two women talking surrounded by cabinets have been photoshopped out of the picture as well.
Women’s right in Saudi Arabia are limited, Women don’t vote, they can’t drive and must be covered when they go out. However, this decision to erase women from the photos just gives out the wrong impression about women in the society. IKEA has realized their error and hopefully they’ll take necessary steps to make things right.
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that's ridicoulus! you know well about the pictures in Sayidaty. The dress that they think is too open, is simply destroyed by their coveration. IKEA and Sweden do the right decisions for the right people. Saudi Arabia do not have the women rights as in Sweden. Don't lie to yourselves
Waleg
Oct 2, 2012
Sayidaty is a Saudi Magazine and it's full of women photos and available in different versions, printed, digital and even as an iPad app!
Ikea should have known better...