Swedes create hotline to raise mansplaining awareness

COPENHAGEN – A large Swedish trade union has been running a weeklong hotline where people can talk about condescending or patronizing co-workers in an effort to raise awareness about workplace sexism and start a discussion about relations between employees.

Jennie Zetterstrom, a spokeswoman for Unionen, says the hotline has been “a huge success” with hundreds of calls.

Zetterstrom said Thursday that women and men can anonymously call to ask about sexism and get advice on how to have more inclusive workplaces. The “mansplainingakut” hotline — a fusion of mansplaining and the Swedish word for emergency — closes Friday.

She said a recent survey by Unionen, which has more than 620,000 private sector members, concluded that 20 per cent of female employees believe they’re given unnecessary help by men who assume they know better.