AIBU to think this magazine cover is really sexist?

[cheeseycharlie]

I receive this magazine, and the January issue cover here left me a bit

This plays to the worst stereotypes of sexism in the construction industry. It is a disservice to the industry and insulting to the women who work in it.

The publisher responded to me that the image "simply shows a woman at work on the project featured in the article". Well he clearly has forgotten the H&S laws that protect all workers by requiring steel-toe boots, hard hats etc - and not silly pink spotty wellies! I am not sure what the H&S laws say about flashing cleavage while on site though...

AIBU or should I lighten up?

This was the first image

Maybe the aussies have a more practical approach to H&S, in the pics inside it looks like she's not the only one wearing shorts

The only thing I find offensive is the stupid wellies

Wow, no one is allowed onto a site without hard hat. Also everyone DOES cover up in Australia, as they do in California, its H&S, this is a joke.

Funny..... the contact us page on the website won't open.

Autralians are less politically correct than here imo.

Maybe the aussies have a more practical approach to H&S

LOL

If you have a swimming pool you have to have a fence round it with a gate that can't be opened by children. In your own garden. Whether you have children or not.

Really, I don't see anything sexist in the construction mag cover. She looks fit, competent & happy in her work.

BUT THIS, I see ads like this all the frigging time. And the sexist differences in how men vs. women are dressed drives me insane in most advertising and in public events for that matter. Nobody but me seems to notice or care. I'll boycott that flick on the back of the outrageous poster. :( +

ps: I'm from California. Plenty of leather people about still (they get so tan their skin turns like leather). And happy all-day sunbathers. Sunbathers will never go away, I promise. Check these out.

Haha, I was about to suggest this might be an Australian photo (because of the sun and the (lack of PPE)) and I see someone upthread has linked this indeed to Oz.

I used to live there and there is a reason why there are so many accidents in the workplace in Australia.

It could have been a male builder showing a bum crack and he'd have been wearing the same sort of clothing but with flip flops on his feet (ok I exaggerate about the flip flops)

I know you can buy steel toe willies but the shape of these just doesn't look like they are. I agree she's a fine figure of a woman -for all those who feel she is a positive role model representative of physical labourers - but the camera angle is really provocative and unlike any male construction workers featured in the mag.

I am getting that there might be some laxity around H&S in Aus from what other posters are saying. I still think she was posed for the shot rather than photographed about her day to day business..

Thanks for all the replies it's really interesting. Sorry if anyone feels it's 'typical bloody mumsnet' I guess that's why I asked the question aibu?!!

Where can we buy a steel toe willie?

But the obvious choice in hot weather would be to wear ankle boots, not willies, which are both hot and impractical.

I'm quite sad that is deemed an acceptable front cover on a professional magazine of the industry, It's like a crappy sexist lads mag/calendar of girlies in titillating poses.