Newspaper berated for sexist advice to Spain’s female MPS

SPAIN’S new socialist government has hit out at a leading Spanish newspaper’s “sexist” report advising the new majority-female cabinet on how to use their feminine charms.

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was joined by writers, academics and social network users in castigating ABC, the conservative daily, for running a fashion special giving the new 11 female ministers advice on how to improve their appearance, including the need to use make-up, show less cleavage and raise hemlines.

The PSOE tweeted: “Intolerable to see this kind of reporting in the 21st century. This new government has its work cut out.”

Argelia Queralt, a constitutional law lecturer at Barcelona University, responded by saying: “When we finally have a 21st-century government, along comes ABC and positions itself in the middle of the 20th century.”

“From the Fifties? No, it’s an article from today about the women ministers,” tweeted Almuena Ariza, the New York reporter for Spain’s public TVE channel, highlighting comments made about Teresa Ribera, the new environment and climate change minister: “The most shocking thing is her complete lack of make-up”, which the article describes as a “necessary slavery” for women.

María Jesús Montero, the new treasury minister, is warned that she has such a “good chassis” that she should “tone down her curves”, while Reyes Maroto, the industry minister, is told her skirts are “too short for someone in her post”.