IKEA Remove Women From Saudi Arabia Catalogue (PICTURES) | HuffPost Life

IKEA Remove Women from Saudi Arabia Catalogue

Brogan Driscoll— The Huffington Post UK

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Swedish furniture giant IKEA have made a public apology for removing images of women from their Saudia Arabia catalogue.

The story appeared in the Swedish edition of Metro who compared the images of the Saudi catalogue with other IKEA catalogues in a spot the difference type gallery.

Ikea Catalogue Spot The Difference

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Perhaps the most shocking change is in the image a family in a bathroom- the original version features a man, woman and two children, while the Saudi Arabian version has deleted the woman from the scene leaving the other three frozen in their poses. Motherless.

"We regret the current situation," a spokesperson for the IKEA Group, Ylva Magnusson, said. "We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog is in conflict with the IKEA Group values."

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The catalogue appears to have been doctored to fit in with other Saudi Arabian advertising - where women appear infrequently, and if so with most of their bodies covered.

See controversial advertising below...

100 Controversial Adverts

(01 of100)

Levis.

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Saatchi and Saatchi's campaign for The Conservative Party ahead of the 1979 general election.

(03 of100)

Durex.

(04 of100)

Sisley fashion brand.

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Sean John's Unforgivable Woman fragrance.

(06 of100)

Linford Christie stars in Kleenex's tissue advert.

(07 of100)

Wonderbra's infamous advert.

(08 of100)

Lynx.

(09 of100)

BMW.

(10 of100)

BaF's anti-domestic violence ad.

(11 of100)

Red Tape menswear fashion brand.

(12 of100)

Controversial French anti-smoking advert,

(13 of100)

MacDonald's.

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QSOL service provider.

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NSPCC

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A German MacDonald's advert.

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Heinz.

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Cadbury's.

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Miquita Oliver in Women's Aid advert.

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Advert for Chicolate chocolate substitute.

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Skin Burn, anti-smoking ad

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Barnardo's.

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Tipalet cigarette advert.

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Benetton

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TG4 television program entitled 'Paisean Faisean'.

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Courage beer.

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Budweiser.

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Barcardi rum.

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Amnesty International

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Skyy alcoholic drink.

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Amnesty International

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Amnesty International

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Anti binge-drinking advert

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Van Heusen

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BMW

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Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter

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Government anti-drug driving advert

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Anti-abortion advert

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Advert against verbal abuse

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Fabrica

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Benson & Hedges

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American Apparel

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Amnesty International

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Post-It

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An M&C Saatchi advert for St Matthew's in the City in Aukland, New Zealand.

"Women can not be retouch away in reality. If Saudi Arabia does not allow women to appear [in public] or work, they lose about half their intellectual capital," Sweden's minister of trade Ewa Björling told Metro.

See controversial products below...

Controversial Products

Adidas(01 of14)

Adidas' 'slave' shackle trainers AKA JS Roundhouse Mids (credit:Adidas/Facebook)

Abercrombie & Fitch (02 of14)

"Wink Wink" and "Eye Candy" thongs for 10-year olds isn't a hit with all parents.

Urban Outfitters (03 of14)

Retailer gets in trouble for its "Jewish Star" t-shirt.

Urban Outfitters (04 of14)

"Eat Less" t-shirts aren't well received by, well, most people.

Indian pharmaceutical company(05 of14)

Vaginal rejuvenation and tightening gel launched by Indian pharmaceutical company (credit:Ultratech India)

Urban Outfitters(06 of14)

"New Mexico, Cleaner than Regular Mexico" t-shirts didn't go over well.(AP photo)

Nike(07 of14)

Nike's "gold digging" t-shirt (credit:Nike)

Urban Outfitters(08 of14)

Some Irish groups aren't pleased with this "Irish Yoga" trucker hat.

Nike(09 of14)

St. Patrick's Day-themed SB Dunk Low "Black and Tan" sneakers by Nike incite outrage from Irish community.

Urban Outfitters(10 of14)

"Truly Madly Deeply Kiss Me" t-shirt offends Irish groups.

Urban Outfitters(11 of14)

Ditto this "Truly Madly Deeply Irish Drunk" scoop tank.

Pubic Hair Dye (12 of14)

"Color for the hair down there" is not received well.

Indian feminine hygiene product(13 of14)

Indian feminine hygiene product that doubles up as a vagina 'brightener'

Abercrombie & Fitch (14 of14)

Asian caricature t-shirts caused outrage in California.

Related

Women IKEA women's issues Saudi Arabia sexism censorship

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