Fit is a feminist issue

摘要

Ten years into the 21st century, you might think women would not have to put up with ill-fitting protective gear. Becky Allen talks to, manufacturers and campaigners and finds that many female workers still have to settle for second best. WHEN Jan Peters, president of the Women's Engineering Society (WES) decided last year to conduct a survey of women's experiences of personal protective equipment (PPE), nothing prepared her for the results. Of the 505 female engineers who responded to the survey, only 8% said they wore PPE designed for women. Of the women who wore PPE designed for men, 60% described it as either uncomfortable or very uncomfortable, and they said the problem spanned every area of equipment. "We wanted to take a broad look at women's PPE, and we found it wasn't only boots that caused problems, gloves were a big issue too," says Peters. "Three-quarters of our respondents had an issue with at least one type of PPE. What's interesting is that they all had something negative to say about it, and also that there's such a high degree of acceptance of the problem."