Thread by @claireOT

I just had a fascinating conversation @Primark. The assistant at the entrance to the female changing room was a man. I said to him: “this seems unusual, is it considered ok to place a male (customer assistant) in this role?”

He responded “sure. All our changing rooms are now unisex, and male and female assistants are available everywhere”
Is this correct, @Primark?

I checked “are you saying that men can choose to enter this changing room, where teenaged girls are trying on clothes?”
He replied “no, not if they want to try on ‘men’s clothes’” @Primark

I asked “so if they want to try on an item from the women’s department, they can enter the changing rooms, where teenaged girls are in a state of undress?” @primark

“Yes” he replied. “If they want to wear women’s clothes, they can come in. Not if they’re the husbands or boyfriends or Dads of girls that are changing. And not, you know, getting dressed up for a Stag Do” @Primark

“So staff are left to decide which men are bringing clothes into here because they want to be with their daughters, or because it’s funny, and stop them. But men that are not related, and bringing clothes in, and it’s not funny, they’re allowed?” @primark

“So staff are expected to examine the internal motivation of a man, when he attempts to enter here, and let some through, and refuse others? This seems like a silly and dangerous rule, to me” @Primark

I asked “Do @Primark know how much business they will lose, when women realise that their daughters cannot be kept safe in these changing rooms, and stop them from shopping here?” I’d love to know the answer to this question

Hi @Primark I’m still waiting for a response from you re your changing room policy. Are you using the legal framework set out in the Equality Act to ensure the safety, privacy, and dignity of women and girls?

If it is helpful, @Primark I can share the resources developed by @fairplaywomen which detail the legal situation which protects women and girls’ rights to sex-segregated changing spaces fairplayforwomen.com/wp-content/upl…

Female-only changing rooms are lawful @Primark fairplayforwomen.com/changing_rooms/ this comprehensive article is worth passing on to your legal, PR, and insurance underwriters, who should all be informed of the reasons to change the policy of providing sex-segregated changing rooms

I really would appreciate a response, @Primark. Like many Mums, I give my daughters freedom (and £) to experiment with fast fashion, in your stores. But I can’t do that, if you no longer provide safe changing rooms.

Unroll please @threadreaderapp

So I’ve emailed @Primark since I’m getting no response on here

Let’s see if @Primark get back to me. As ever, thanks to @fairplaywomen for the excellent analysis and references that they generously share. Please support them.