Pink parking row

The introduction of women’s parking spaces – wider than standard spaces and marked with pink signs and images of high heels – has reignited debate about sexist attitudes across China. The spaces, which have appeared at service stations in the city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang province, have been condemned on Chinese social media, though large numbers of online commenters have also said they serve a valid purpose. Fang Hongying, a service station manager, said: "The women’s parking spaces are closer to the exits and monitoring systems, which is more convenient for female drivers to take a break or go shopping in the main building, and much safer at night." Many social media users were not impressed by the explanation. "Parking depends on driving skills, not gender," one user of Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, wrote.