IKEA in Saudi Arabia: gender equality vs. cultural sensitivity

[Pea-n-Me]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-ikea-saudiarabia-idUSBRE8910O320121002

So... should IKEA have removed women from their catalog, or not?

 

[RitaE]

Some cultural aspects don't deserve sensitivity

 

[luvmy3]

I think if Ikea really wanted to make a statement about their values they wouldn't do business in Saudi Arabia at all.

 

[Pigeon]

Some cultural aspects don't deserve sensitivity

Yup. And I agree that if the company really is principled, they'll be willing to forego whatever sales are lost by the scandalous inclusion of fully dressed women in the catalog.

 

[Art 1]

Nothing new. Maybe for Ikea but nothing new for western ads to be altered in magazines in KSA. Been going on for a long time.

 

[Magpie]

It's all foolishness. The woman is fully dressed, covered ankle to wrist, in a private bathroom with her husband and children. She's behaving in a completely appropriate manner, even for Saudi culture.

The Saudis don't have a problem with images of women. They have a problem with images showing women's bare flesh (of which the IKEA's mom is showing none).

Here's how the Saudis dealt with Katy Perry...

IKEA, on the other hand, would have had an empty lawn chair in front of a white picket fence!

Here's a great article on it: http://observers.france24.com/conte...e-album-magazine-covers-censorship-marker-pen

The IKEA catalogue was already well within Saudi guidelines. Someone over-reacted, possibly due to ignorance of Saudi law.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yup. And I agree that if the company really is principled, they'll be willing to forego whatever sales are lost by the scandalous inclusion of fully dressed women in the catalog.

Agree. They admit now that as a company, the erred.