Women Only Parking

Seoul, South Korea has painted 5,000 parking spaces pink and designated them women only.

Yeah.

Since when did being a women become a handicap? The purpose behind these parking spaces is to increase happiness in women. South Korea is typically a male-driven society, and Seoul is putting $104 million dollars toward changing that image. Starting with parking spaces so high-heel wearing women don't have to walk far to work or to the mall.

No, I'm not kidding.

In addition to the parking spaces, the city is working toward finding women better jobs, building more restrooms, improving street lighting for safety, creating safer parks, and building more day care centers. Supposedly to relieve the worried stress about working and shopping.

I think it's curious that Seoul is doing all this under the slogan "Happy Women, Happy Seoul", and not because it's the right thing to do, creating safer parks and day cares for the families of the city. The women-only parking space is odd as hell, and just a little demeaning. I'm not versed in the fashion there, but I doubt women wear high heels everyday, all occasions. So to create parking spaces that are high-heel friendly is just dumb. The only justification I see for women-only spaces is in high crime areas. If you were trying to revitalize a section of the city by bringing in upscale stores, yeah I'd want my own parking space close to the store so I don't have to walk through the neighborhood.

You can imagine how this idea for "Happy Women, Happy Seoul" came about. The men in charge realized they must do something about the gender inequality. Maybe the womenfolk were getting restless or outside influences forced their hand. Whatever. So they sat in a room and thought about ways to improve the lives of women. Thus making them happier and making men's lives easier. Because if the little wifey is happy, the whole family is, right? When the idea for convenient parking was introduced, the men in charge thought it was fabulous idea. Those women and their insensible shoes needed to go shopping!

I guarantee you not one woman was consulted on the idea on how to improve gender inequality. Kinda says something about the greater mentality, doesn't it?