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27th Mar 2017

This ‘penis seat’ is causing controversy in Mexico

Niamh Maher

This is one seat you don’t want to sit on.

The Metro system in Mexico city has installed a ‘male only’ penis seat. It sports a flaccid penis and a male torso, complete with nipples and a belly button. The seat is part of a hard-hitting campaign to raise awareness about sexual assault suffered by women, which is rife in the city.

A sign next to the installation reads,

‘It’s uncomfortable to sit here but it doesn’t compare with the sexual violence that women suffer in their everyday lives.’

This isn’t the first time Mexican authorities have attempted to tackle the issue of sexual violence on the transport system, last year thousands of plastic whistles were sold for $3, the sole purpose being to detract perpetrators from committing sexual assaults on women.

According to Mexico’s National Statistics Institute, nearly three million sexual attacks occurred between 2010 and 2015. The attacks range from groping to rape.

A recent survey by the city showed that seven out of 10 female passengers had been harassed on buses and subways.

The ‘penis seat’ video was shared by a user on Youtube.