Sports company pilloried for sexist label

[JAKARTA] An Indonesian sports apparel company apologised on Sunday after being widely pilloried for a jersey label deemed sexist for calling washing a woman's job, but the damage control exercise also backfired.

"Give this jersey to your woman. IT'S HER JOB," Salvo Sports printed on a label inside shirts designed for a local football club.

The "offensive" washing instruction provoked a torrent of criticism on social media, with many lambasting Salvo before the company was forced to issue an unreserved apology.

"I don't know if it's meant to be a joke or anything but that's offensive to women," wrote one Twitter user.

The company also took to Twitter to apologise on Sunday, saying it only wanted to convey that women are better than men at the task of washing.

"The message is simply 'rather than fussing and washing wrongly, it is better to let the women do it as they understand the problem better'," it posted.

"There is no intention at all to insult women. In fact it's the contrary, (telling men to) learn how to take care of their clothing from women as they are more thorough," it added.

"Not all men understand or know how to take care of their clothing, women are experts in such matters." But that line of reasoning was not well received either.

AFP