“This is how to slow down men. Tested and approved in rue d’Aerschot” read the tagline, stemming no doubt from good intentions. However, the story, which has hit headlines around Belgium, has been met with reactions of outrage.
The poster, which depicts outlines of women in suggestive poses under neon red lights, was installed by the communications agency Mortierbrigade in Brussels after a 14-year-old girl was knocked down in a street near the agency’s offices.
The explicit depiction of prostitutes on the poster has displeased communal authorities and many internet users, who have denounced the sexist usage of the female body. The aldermen at Schaerbeek Equal Opportunities said it was not acceptable to use sex workers in a campaign which presents women as sex objects and men as predators.
The agency’s director said it was a solution which could slow down male drivers, after establishing that motorists tended to drive slowly down rue d’Aerschot, which is known for its window prostitutes.
