Sweden: Male train drivers don skirts to beat the heat

Male staff on Stockholm's commuter trains have begun wearing skirts to circumvent a ban on shorts as sweltering heat hit the Swedish capital this week.

train_skirt_130610_aftonbladet_1219103856
Around 15 male train drivers and other staff wore skirts this week on the suburban Roslagsbanan train service, where temperatures inside the carriages can reach 35 degrees Celsius, transport company Arriva said Sunday.

"Our policy is that you have to look well dressed and proper when representing Arriva, and that means trousers if you're a man and a skirt if you're a woman, but no shorts," Arriva spokesman Tomas Hedenius told AFP.

"But if there's a man who is keen to wear women's clothing, such as a skirt, we have said that's okay," he added.

The company could change its policy this autumn after receiving feedback from its employees.

"There's always reason to review the framework when you hear your staff's views. The uniforms should look proper but they should also be comfortable to wear," Hadenius said.

Around 47,000 passengers travel on the Roslagsbanan service every day according to Stockholm Public Transport (SL).

Sweden's tradition of gender equality has famously put more mums in the workplace while rising numbers of dads stay at home.

Over the past year, activists have pushed for a gender-neutral pronoun, "hen", to be added to "han" (he) and "hon" (she).

The Nordic country's largest toy chain said in November its toys were "gender neutral" after picturing boys holding baby dolls and banishing girls from the dolls pages of its Christmas catalogue.



Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world