Long answer: they cater to customers with a maid fetish. It is possible that some staff do not mind, or even enjoy, working there. It is possible that a maid cafe might put clear boundaries, and protect its staff. But in the real world, most of the time, yes it is quite degrading.

[–] JDubbleu@programming.dev 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

Not that they're the same, but this feels like not letting people be strippers because some people may feel degraded by it. I could understand having legislation that provides protections for employees through employer obligations to ensure a safe environment, but ultimately it's the choice of the individual if they're okay with the work or not. I don't have a dog in this fight, but this feels like Chinese conservatism forcing "modesty" on women.

[–] FireTower@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You mean Chinese conservatism? My take was as means of combating foreign cultural influence.

[–] JDubbleu@programming.dev 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Whoops, idk why I misread it as Japanese. Will fix thanks.

[–] FireTower@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Completely understandable you probably saw maid cafe and instantly thought Japan before reading the headline. We all have our moments.

[–] JDubbleu@programming.dev 4 points 5 months ago

This was almost definitely it lmao

[–] livus@kbin.social 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

forcing “modesty” on women.

I see what you're saying. A feminist from one of these countries explained to me once using the metaphor that it's all very well for western feminists to fight for the right to show their breasts but we need to respect that a lot of non-western feminists are still fighting for the right to choose not to show them.

In the west, feminists are interested in the right to sexual expression and agency so that's the lense we view this stuff through.

But at a grassroots level women in LICs focus on things like rape law reform, consent age reform, freedom from spousal abuse, mechanisms to protect domestic workers, FGM etc. So it's not realistic to expect everyone to be on the same page when conditions are so different.

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I remember when my aunt and uncle were going through a divorce, the government forced them through years of legal hoops. This seemed to be in the mistaken belief that couples should be forced back together. This is Switzerland. It might not be FGM or lack of marital rape laws, but sometimes it can be surprising where backwards laws and beliefs still hold sway.

[–] livus@kbin.social 2 points 5 months ago

Yes every country's struggles are specific, it was just a general trend.

I can't get my head around Switzerland. Women only got full suffrage there in 1971. It was 1893 where I live. You do have to be separated for 2 years to get a divorce here, too, though, which I think is stupid.

[–] emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works 7 points 5 months ago

ultimately it's the choice of the individual if they're okay with the work or not

Ah, the free choice between degrading yourself and starving. I too would have preferred the path of regulation, but I can understand the courts being so disgusted that they just blanket ban it.

this feels like Chinese conservatism forcing "modesty" on women.

I don't know much about Chinese society, but in South Korea (and to a lesser extent, Japan), it is mainly feminists pushing against practises that objectify them, with furious opposition from certain men, and even the authorities dragging their feet.

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