South Korea Launches Female-Only Parking Spaces At Shopping Malls - And They're Pink

South Korea Launches Female-Only Parking Spaces At Shopping Malls - And They're Pink

As part of a multi-million pound "women friendly" initiative in South Korea's capital Seoul, female-only parking spaces - complete with pink outlines and a girly logo - have been created in the city's shopping malls.

The spaces are wider and longer than the average parking spots and many of them are closer to the stores' lifts.

Yes, it might be handy for eager shoppers, but is this slightly bizarre design just a little bit patronising?

Perhaps, but the parking spaces are just a small part of a four-year plan to support females in the area. The Korea Times reports women-friendly roads have been built and an increase in female toilets are also a priority in the project.

Why? Cho Eun-hee, the assistant mayor of Women and Family Affairs at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, explained the background of this concept to the newspaper.

"Urban design was focused on males since they were the sole breadwinners," she said. "For example, the hand straps on buses were previously adjusted to a male's average height but we changed the height of the straps so more women can hold on to them easily."

Unsurprisingly, the changes haven't gone down well with some of the male residents in Seoul but Cho defended the initiative by arguing, "A woman's happiness is a barometer of society's happiness.''

This pro-women attitude shouldn't be a bad thing, but are bigger car parking spaces and softer pavements more suited to high heels the right way to go about it? Tweet us your response @MyDailyUK.

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