Russian company offers women extra pay to wear skirts or dresses to work in ‘femininity marathon’ - The Independent

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Russian company offers women extra pay to wear skirts or dresses to work in ‘femininity marathon’ - The Independent Posted: 31 May 2019 05:44 AM PDT A Russian company has faced fierce criticism for offering female workers cash bonuses to wear skirts or dresses to work. The decision is part of a so-called "femininity marathon" campaign being run by Tatprof, an aluminium manufacturer, until 30 June. Female staff who wear a dress or skirt "no longer than five centimetres from the knee" are given 100 roubles (£1.19) on top of their normal wages – with the firm saying it is an attempt to help with team bonding. Women must send the company a picture in order to get the bonus. We'll tell you what's true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. The firm, a supplier for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2018 football World Cup, told Russian media that 60 women had already taken part and rebuffed accusations of sexism. "We wanted to brighten up our work days," a spokesperson told the radio station Govorit Moskva. 1/50 30 May 2019 Serena Williams in action during her second round match against Japan's Kurumi Nara. The 23-time grand slam winner went through to the next round 6-3, 6-2 Reuters 2/50 29 May 2019 Ken Wyatt is sworn in as Minister for Indigenous Australians by Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in Canberra, Australia. Scott Morrison announced his new ministry on Sunday 26 May, following his victory in the May 18 Federal election. The new Cabinet features a record number of women with seven taking on senior roles, including Bridget McKenzie as the first female Agriculture Minister. Ken Wyatt is the first indigenous person to be appointed the Indigenous Affairs Minister Getty 3/50 28 May 2019 People look on as they examine the damaged remains of school in Dayton, Ohio, after powerful tornadoes ripped through the US state overnight, causing at least one fatality and widespread damage and power outages AFP/Getty 4/50 27 May 2019 President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a State Banquet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito, second from right, and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo AP 5/50 26 May 2019 Former Italian PM and leader of the right-wing party Forza Italia Silvio Berlusconi looks at photographers as he casts his vote at a polling station in Milan AFP/Getty 6/50 25 May 2019 A paramilitary soldier stands guard in front of closed shops during restrictions in downtown area of Srinagar EPA 7/50 24 May 2019 Pope Francis gestures as he participates alongside thousands of soccer-mad children in a project to promote the values of sport and soccer, at the Vatican Reuters 8/50 23 May 2019 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters celebrate their party's potential win as votes are counted for the Lok Sabha election in Bangalore, India. The Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, elections, began on 11 April and held for 542 of the 543 lower house seats. A party or alliance needs 272 seats to form a government. It was announced that Narendra Modi was to retain the position of Prime Minister along with the BJP EPA 9/50 22 May 2019 Palestinian children help their father sort through arugula produce before he heads to sell it at a market, in an impoverished area in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty 10/50 21 May 2019 Indonesia's Incumbent President from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Joko Widodo takes a selfie with local residents after his victory speech following the announcement of the election results at a slum area in Jakarta. Joko Widodo was re-elected after beating his rival, retired General Prabowo Subianto EPA 11/50 20 May 2019 President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky holding an ancient Bulava (historical symbol of the state power) during his inauguration in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev. Mr Zelensky with 73,22 percent of the votes beat out the current president Petro Poroshenko, who received 24,45 percent of the votes during the second tour of presidential elections in Ukraine which was held on 21 April Presidential Press Service/EPA 12/50 19 May 2019 Sudanese protesters gather for a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum. Talks between Sudan's ruling military council and protesters are set to resume, army rulers announced, as Islamic movements rallied for the inclusion of sharia in the country's roadmap AFP/Getty 13/50 18 May 2019 James Hinchcliffe of Canada rolls his car after hitting the wall during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race in Indiana, US AP 14/50 17 May 2019 Taiwan became first state in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Thousands of gay rights supporters gathered outside parliament in Taipei during the debate EPA 15/50 16 May 2019 Spectators watch as riders take the start of stage six of the 102nd Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy, race, 238kms from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo AFP/Getty 16/50 15 May 2019 Buildings in Hung Hom district are shrouded in coastal fog in Hong Kong, China. In springtime, Hong Kong is affected by alternate cold and warm air. As cold air from the north recedes, warm and humid air comes in from the sea and as the water near the coast is still rather cold, the warm and humid air may be cooled sufficiently by the underlying cold water EPA 17/50 14 May 2019 An Indian worker packs mangos for sale at a wholesale fruit market in Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir. Mango is regarded as the national fruit of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. India is one of the leading producers of tropical and subtropical fruits in the world and is said to be the world's largest mango producer EPA 18/50 13 May 2019 A nurse carries a newborn baby after a fire broke out on the terrace of a children's hospital building in Ahmedabad, India Reuters 19/50 12 May 2019 Members of the action group Extinction Rebellion hold banners in front of the Eiffel Tower after spilling fake blood on the Trocadero esplanade during a demonstration to alert on the state of decline of biodiversity, in Paris. Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change in order to minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse AFP/Getty 20/50 11 May 2019 An armed police officer greets members of the Muslim community in front of Al Noor mosque as they arrive for the iftar, the evening meal, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Muslims around the world are observing the holiest month of Ramadan, fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month. Ramadan this year will be slightly sombre for New Zealand Muslims - especially those in Christchurch - in the wake of the mosque terror attacks where 51 people died after a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers at Linwood and Al Noor Mosques on March 15 Getty 21/50 10 May 2019 Muslims perform prayers on a road outside a mosque on the first Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Srinagar Reuters 22/50 9 May 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets people after posing for a family photo during the informal meeting of European Union leaders in Sibiu, Romania Reuters 23/50 8 May 2019 Smokes rises after a huge explosion near the offices of the attorney general in Kabul, Afghanistan. Two police officials say Wednesday's explosion was followed by a gunbattle between militants and security forces AP 24/50 7 May 2019 Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo wave as they walk to Insein prison gate as they were freed, after receiving a presidential pardon in Yangon, Myanmar Reuters 25/50 6 May 2019 Students sit in circles as they read the Koran on the first day of Ramadan at Ar-Raudhatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan by praying during the night time and abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual acts during the period between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and it is believed that the revelation of the first verse in Koran was during its last 10 nights EPA 26/50 5 May 2019 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte ignites the liberation fire during the Liberation festival in Almere, The Netherlands. EPA 27/50 4 May 2019 Demonstrators wearing bees masks and costumes lie on the ground during a demonstration for biodiversity called by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Paris. AFP/Getty Images 28/50 3 May 2019 Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the women's 800m at the IAAF Diamond League competition in Doha AFP/Getty 29/50 2 May 2019 Children chant slogans as they watch a demonstration outside the army headquarters in Khartoum. Crowds of Sudanese protesters began converging in Khartoum for a "million-strong" march to press for a civilian administration after talks with military rulers ran into trouble AFP/Getty 30/50 1 May 2019 People hold blue, white and red smoke bombs as they demonstrate to mark May Day in Toulouse. France's zero-tolerance approach to protest violence will be tested, when a mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets on Labour Day AFP/Getty 31/50 Opponents to Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro face off with Bolivarian National Guards in armored vehicles, loyal to the president, during an attempted military uprising in Caracas, Venezuela. Opposition leader Juan Guaido took to the streets with a small contingent of heavily armed troops in a call for the military to rise up and oust Madur AP 32/50 29 April 2019 In this aereal view officials measure a giant teddy bear measuring more than 20 meters long and 4 tons of weight, which entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the biggest of its kind in Xonacatlan, Mexico state. AFP/Getty Images 33/50 28 April 2019 Competitors ride their bikes along sand dunes during the Stage 1 of the 14th edition of Titan Desert 2019 mountain biking race around Merzouga in Morocco AFP/Getty 34/50 27 April 2019 Greenpeace activists hold banners reading "Climate urgency: Think, vote, act" on top of the Columbus (Colon) Monument in Barcelona on April 27, 2019 as part of an awareness campaign on the eve of Spain's general elections. - Spain returns to the polls on April 28 for unpredictable snap elections marked by the resurgence of the far-right after more than four decades on the outer margins of politics. AFP/Getty 35/50 26 April 2019 A security officer stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine, days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka Reuters 36/50 25 April 2019 Palestinian beekeepers inspect beehives at the honey-bee farm in the east of Khan Younis town, near the border with Israel, southern Gaza Strip. The beekeepers collect honey and wax from beehives at this time of this year EPA 37/50 24 April 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a Russian honor guard after arriving at a railway station in Vladivostok, for the summit to be held with Russian President Vladimir Putin EPA 38/50 23 April 2019 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he holds the granddaughter of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah after he arrives to cast his vote at a polling station during the third phase of general election in Ahmedabad Reuters 39/50 22 April 2019 A woman living near St Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her baby after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Bombings on Easter Sunday ripped through churches and luxury hotels killing at least 290 people AP 40/50 21 April 2019 Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo after a bombing attack; one of eight across the country on Easter Sunday EPA 41/50 20 April 2019 A protester walks amid tear gas deployed by security services on the 23rd week of Gilets Jaunes protests in Paris Getty 42/50 19 April 2019 Ultra-Orthodox Jews burn leaven in the Mea Shearim neighbourhood of Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, in Jerusalem Reuters 43/50 18 April 2019 Christian worshippers take part in the procession of the holy Thursday, during the Catholic Washing of the Feet ceremony on Easter Holy Week, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's old city EPA 44/50 17 April 2019 A young girl runs past UWSA military contingents before a parade held to mark the 30th anniversary of Wa State in Panghsang, also called Pang Kham of autonomous Wa region, north-eastern Myanmar. Wa declared itself as an independent State on 17 April 1989. Although the government of Myanmar does not recognize the sovereignty of Wa State, Myanmar military has adopted a ceasefire with the state since 9 May 1989. Wa State has been notorious for drug smuggling in the Golden Triangle of the last 30 years, although it declared its region a drug-free zone in 2005 EPA 45/50 16 April 2019 Firefighters spray water as they work to extinguish the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The huge blaze that devastated the cathedral is "under control", the Paris fire brigade said early on April 16 after firefighters spent hours battling the flames AFP/Getty 46/50 15 April 2019 Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris AFP/Getty 47/50 14 April 2019 Indonesian soldiers and police at a general security roll call for the upcoming general elections in Jakarta. Some 192 million Indonesians are set to cast a ballot in the world's third-biggest democracy, with a record 245,000 candidates vying for positions from the presidency and parliamentary seats all the way down to local council jobs AFP/Getty 48/50 13 April 2019 Hindu devotees throw holy flammable powder onto a fire as they perform rituals during Gajan Festival celebrations in Kolkata. The festival falls on the last day of the Bengali calendar which also coincides with the birth of Lord Shiva, according to Hindu mythology AFP/Getty 49/50 12 April 2019 A woman visits the exhibition 'Mirrors: In and Out of Reality' in Barcelona, Spain. Maths, physics and photonics melt in this exhibition presented by Cosmocaixa in which visitors can enter a big kaleidoscope to walk through and experience with the effects and particularities of mirrors. The exhibition will be open to public until 6 June 2019 EPA 50/50 11 April 2019 Voters line up to cast their votes outside a polling station during the first phase of general election in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India Reuters 1/50 30 May 2019 Serena Williams in action during her second round match against Japan's Kurumi Nara. The 23-time grand slam winner went through to the next round 6-3, 6-2 Reuters 2/50 29 May 2019 Ken Wyatt is sworn in as Minister for Indigenous Australians by Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in Canberra, Australia. Scott Morrison announced his new ministry on Sunday 26 May, following his victory in the May 18 Federal election. The new Cabinet features a record number of women with seven taking on senior roles, including Bridget McKenzie as the first female Agriculture Minister. Ken Wyatt is the first indigenous person to be appointed the Indigenous Affairs Minister Getty 3/50 28 May 2019 People look on as they examine the damaged remains of school in Dayton, Ohio, after powerful tornadoes ripped through the US state overnight, causing at least one fatality and widespread damage and power outages AFP/Getty 4/50 27 May 2019 President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a State Banquet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito, second from right, and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo AP 5/50 26 May 2019 Former Italian PM and leader of the right-wing party Forza Italia Silvio Berlusconi looks at photographers as he casts his vote at a polling station in Milan AFP/Getty 6/50 25 May 2019 A paramilitary soldier stands guard in front of closed shops during restrictions in downtown area of Srinagar EPA 7/50 24 May 2019 Pope Francis gestures as he participates alongside thousands of soccer-mad children in a project to promote the values of sport and soccer, at the Vatican Reuters 8/50 23 May 2019 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters celebrate their party's potential win as votes are counted for the Lok Sabha election in Bangalore, India. The Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, elections, began on 11 April and held for 542 of the 543 lower house seats. A party or alliance needs 272 seats to form a government. It was announced that Narendra Modi was to retain the position of Prime Minister along with the BJP EPA 9/50 22 May 2019 Palestinian children help their father sort through arugula produce before he heads to sell it at a market, in an impoverished area in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty 10/50 21 May 2019 Indonesia's Incumbent President from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Joko Widodo takes a selfie with local residents after his victory speech following the announcement of the election results at a slum area in Jakarta. Joko Widodo was re-elected after beating his rival, retired General Prabowo Subianto EPA 11/50 20 May 2019 President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky holding an ancient Bulava (historical symbol of the state power) during his inauguration in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev. Mr Zelensky with 73,22 percent of the votes beat out the current president Petro Poroshenko, who received 24,45 percent of the votes during the second tour of presidential elections in Ukraine which was held on 21 April Presidential Press Service/EPA 12/50 19 May 2019 Sudanese protesters gather for a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum. Talks between Sudan's ruling military council and protesters are set to resume, army rulers announced, as Islamic movements rallied for the inclusion of sharia in the country's roadmap AFP/Getty 13/50 18 May 2019 James Hinchcliffe of Canada rolls his car after hitting the wall during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race in Indiana, US AP 14/50 17 May 2019 Taiwan became first state in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Thousands of gay rights supporters gathered outside parliament in Taipei during the debate EPA 15/50 16 May 2019 Spectators watch as riders take the start of stage six of the 102nd Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy, race, 238kms from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo AFP/Getty 16/50 15 May 2019 Buildings in Hung Hom district are shrouded in coastal fog in Hong Kong, China. In springtime, Hong Kong is affected by alternate cold and warm air. As cold air from the north recedes, warm and humid air comes in from the sea and as the water near the coast is still rather cold, the warm and humid air may be cooled sufficiently by the underlying cold water EPA 17/50 14 May 2019 An Indian worker packs mangos for sale at a wholesale fruit market in Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir. Mango is regarded as the national fruit of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. India is one of the leading producers of tropical and subtropical fruits in the world and is said to be the world's largest mango producer EPA 18/50 13 May 2019 A nurse carries a newborn baby after a fire broke out on the terrace of a children's hospital building in Ahmedabad, India Reuters 19/50 12 May 2019 Members of the action group Extinction Rebellion hold banners in front of the Eiffel Tower after spilling fake blood on the Trocadero esplanade during a demonstration to alert on the state of decline of biodiversity, in Paris. Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change in order to minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse AFP/Getty 20/50 11 May 2019 An armed police officer greets members of the Muslim community in front of Al Noor mosque as they arrive for the iftar, the evening meal, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Muslims around the world are observing the holiest month of Ramadan, fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month. Ramadan this year will be slightly sombre for New Zealand Muslims - especially those in Christchurch - in the wake of the mosque terror attacks where 51 people died after a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers at Linwood and Al Noor Mosques on March 15 Getty 21/50 10 May 2019 Muslims perform prayers on a road outside a mosque on the first Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Srinagar Reuters 22/50 9 May 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets people after posing for a family photo during the informal meeting of European Union leaders in Sibiu, Romania Reuters 23/50 8 May 2019 Smokes rises after a huge explosion near the offices of the attorney general in Kabul, Afghanistan. Two police officials say Wednesday's explosion was followed by a gunbattle between militants and security forces AP 24/50 7 May 2019 Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo wave as they walk to Insein prison gate as they were freed, after receiving a presidential pardon in Yangon, Myanmar Reuters 25/50 6 May 2019 Students sit in circles as they read the Koran on the first day of Ramadan at Ar-Raudhatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan by praying during the night time and abstaining from eating, drinking, and sexual acts during the period between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and it is believed that the revelation of the first verse in Koran was during its last 10 nights EPA 26/50 5 May 2019 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte ignites the liberation fire during the Liberation festival in Almere, The Netherlands. EPA 27/50 4 May 2019 Demonstrators wearing bees masks and costumes lie on the ground during a demonstration for biodiversity called by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Paris. AFP/Getty Images 28/50 3 May 2019 Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the women's 800m at the IAAF Diamond League competition in Doha AFP/Getty 29/50 2 May 2019 Children chant slogans as they watch a demonstration outside the army headquarters in Khartoum. Crowds of Sudanese protesters began converging in Khartoum for a "million-strong" march to press for a civilian administration after talks with military rulers ran into trouble AFP/Getty 30/50 1 May 2019 People hold blue, white and red smoke bombs as they demonstrate to mark May Day in Toulouse. France's zero-tolerance approach to protest violence will be tested, when a mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and hardline hooligans are expected to hit the streets on Labour Day AFP/Getty 31/50 Opponents to Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro face off with Bolivarian National Guards in armored vehicles, loyal to the president, during an attempted military uprising in Caracas, Venezuela. Opposition leader Juan Guaido took to the streets with a small contingent of heavily armed troops in a call for the military to rise up and oust Madur AP 32/50 29 April 2019 In this aereal view officials measure a giant teddy bear measuring more than 20 meters long and 4 tons of weight, which entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the biggest of its kind in Xonacatlan, Mexico state. AFP/Getty Images 33/50 28 April 2019 Competitors ride their bikes along sand dunes during the Stage 1 of the 14th edition of Titan Desert 2019 mountain biking race around Merzouga in Morocco AFP/Getty 34/50 27 April 2019 Greenpeace activists hold banners reading "Climate urgency: Think, vote, act" on top of the Columbus (Colon) Monument in Barcelona on April 27, 2019 as part of an awareness campaign on the eve of Spain's general elections. - Spain returns to the polls on April 28 for unpredictable snap elections marked by the resurgence of the far-right after more than four decades on the outer margins of politics. AFP/Getty 35/50 26 April 2019 A security officer stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine, days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka Reuters 36/50 25 April 2019 Palestinian beekeepers inspect beehives at the honey-bee farm in the east of Khan Younis town, near the border with Israel, southern Gaza Strip. The beekeepers collect honey and wax from beehives at this time of this year EPA 37/50 24 April 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a Russian honor guard after arriving at a railway station in Vladivostok, for the summit to be held with Russian President Vladimir Putin EPA 38/50 23 April 2019 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he holds the granddaughter of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah after he arrives to cast his vote at a polling station during the third phase of general election in Ahmedabad Reuters 39/50 22 April 2019 A woman living near St Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her baby after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Bombings on Easter Sunday ripped through churches and luxury hotels killing at least 290 people AP 40/50 21 April 2019 Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo after a bombing attack; one of eight across the country on Easter Sunday EPA 41/50 20 April 2019 A protester walks amid tear gas deployed by security services on the 23rd week of Gilets Jaunes protests in Paris Getty 42/50 19 April 2019 Ultra-Orthodox Jews burn leaven in the Mea Shearim neighbourhood of Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, in Jerusalem Reuters 43/50 18 April 2019 Christian worshippers take part in the procession of the holy Thursday, during the Catholic Washing of the Feet ceremony on Easter Holy Week, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's old city EPA 44/50 17 April 2019 A young girl runs past UWSA military contingents before a parade held to mark the 30th anniversary of Wa State in Panghsang, also called Pang Kham of autonomous Wa region, north-eastern Myanmar. Wa declared itself as an independent State on 17 April 1989. Although the government of Myanmar does not recognize the sovereignty of Wa State, Myanmar military has adopted a ceasefire with the state since 9 May 1989. Wa State has been notorious for drug smuggling in the Golden Triangle of the last 30 years, although it declared its region a drug-free zone in 2005 EPA 45/50 16 April 2019 Firefighters spray water as they work to extinguish the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The huge blaze that devastated the cathedral is "under control", the Paris fire brigade said early on April 16 after firefighters spent hours battling the flames AFP/Getty 46/50 15 April 2019 Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris AFP/Getty 47/50 14 April 2019 Indonesian soldiers and police at a general security roll call for the upcoming general elections in Jakarta. Some 192 million Indonesians are set to cast a ballot in the world's third-biggest democracy, with a record 245,000 candidates vying for positions from the presidency and parliamentary seats all the way down to local council jobs AFP/Getty 48/50 13 April 2019 Hindu devotees throw holy flammable powder onto a fire as they perform rituals during Gajan Festival celebrations in Kolkata. The festival falls on the last day of the Bengali calendar which also coincides with the birth of Lord Shiva, according to Hindu mythology AFP/Getty 49/50 12 April 2019 A woman visits the exhibition 'Mirrors: In and Out of Reality' in Barcelona, Spain. Maths, physics and photonics melt in this exhibition presented by Cosmocaixa in which visitors can enter a big kaleidoscope to walk through and experience with the effects and particularities of mirrors. The exhibition will be open to public until 6 June 2019 EPA 50/50 11 April 2019 Voters line up to cast their votes outside a polling station during the first phase of general election in Alipurduar district in the eastern state of West Bengal, India Reuters "Our team is 70 per cent male. These kinds of campaigns help us switch off, rest. This is a great way to unite the team. Many women automatically wear trousers to work, which is why we hope that our campaign will raise our ladies' awareness, allowing them to feel their femininity and charm when they make the choice of wearing a skirt or dress." The move has sparked heavy criticism among social media users who hit out at the "horrible treatment of women" and said the "1950's are alive and well and living in Russia". One Twitter user said: "Russia seems just coming out the dark ages. You have to laugh." "So #Tatprof is running a femininity contest for its employees in Russia, basically it seems so the bosses can gawk over the pictures. Disgusting abuse of power & exploiting women," another added. The firm has other so-called "femininity" events in the pipeline for June – such as a competition to see who is the fastest at making dumplings.  The firm is also staging competitions for its male workers and held a pull-up contest last week. Anastasia Kirillova, who works in the company's department of corporate culture and internal communications, said the idea for the campaign had come from CEO Sergei Rachkov. "He is very concerned about this issue – mixing gender roles," she told local news website Business Online. "And he really wants to maintain the female essence in every female employee of the company, so that young women do not have male haircuts, do not change into trousers, so that they engage themselves in handicraft, project all their warmth into raising children." Read more Russia remains a traditional society with deeply entrenched sexist views and a culture of victim-blaming. Since Vladimir Putin first took office almost 20 years ago, he has joked at least twice in public about rape. The president famously bragged that Russia's prostitutes are the best in the world and has ridiculed women for menstruating.  The country is also known for having a profoundly troubling attitude towards domestic violence and a traditional Russian saying is "if he beats you, it means he loves you". Tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda ran an article after the government reduced the punishment for spousal or child abuse from a criminal to a civil one saying that women should be "proud of their bruises" from violent husbands because, they said, some evolutionary psychologists claim abused women are more likely to give birth to sons. Russia is one of the only major countries in the world not to have dedicated laws for domestic violence. Parliament adopted controversial legislative amendments in February 2017 that decriminalised first battery offences among family members – marking a grave setback which reduced penalties for abusers and placed victims in even more danger. Domestic violence is a massive problem in the country, with official studies suggesting at least one out of five women in Russia have experienced physical violence at the hands of a husband or partner. The country's interior ministry said domestic violence kills around 14,000 women per year – one every 40 minutes. The Independent contacted the company for comment.

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