Boris Johnson is under quite a bit of fire after making a sexist remark about Malaysian women. Yes, the mayor of London is being accused of being disrespectful for dismissing the motivations of the Malaysian women in the United Kingdom.
Despite being one of the most senior politicians in the country, Johnson has been known for cracking distasteful jokes that can sometimes backfire.
The comment he made about Malaysian women came up at the launch of the World Islamic Economic Forum, where Johnson appeared with Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak.
Image: Zimbio
In the middle of a discussion about the women in education, Johnson crossed the line. When Najib Razak made a remark on the role of women in Islamic societies: “Before coming here, my officials have told me that the latest university intake in Malaysia, a Muslim country, 68 per cent will be entering our universities’.
Johnson then wittily added: “They’ve got to find men to marry’. While a lot of the people there were amused by his comment, a lot of women in the audience who were not at all amused.
Sophia Furber, a reporter at Estates Gazette who was at the forum, tweeted that the mayor’s comment had some in the room uncomfortable. She tweeted the following:
In an interview with The Guardian, she said: “I think the Malaysians were a bit taken aback by the remark. I felt that the comment was a bit naff and not in the spirit of the event, since the Malaysians/WIEF came across as very sincere about promoting women in business”.
Kate Green, the Labour party’s shadow equality minister also quoted on The Guardian: “Boris Johnson may think his buffoonery allows him to get away with his outdated opinions but this isn’t funny. These comments are insulting to the women across the country and across the world who have gone to university, worked hard and used their talents to get on”. [Source]
So, what do you guys think about the Mayor of London mocking the women of Malaysia?
