![pink rotary telephone Pink rotary telephone on wood surface.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/mansplaining-hotline-sweden.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
A union in Sweden is trying to tackle one form of sexism in the workplace: mansplaining — you know, when men explain things that don’t need to be explained to women for no other reason than to stroke the male ego.
Unionen, which represents around 600,000 private-sector workers in Sweden, set up a week-long hotline for workers to report incidents of “mansplaining,” the New York Times reports. Working women and men can call the hotline between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. this week to seek counsel from professors, authors and other gender experts on the common condescending behavior. The hotline is part of a larger effort by Unionen to change workplace culture.
“Our objective is to contribute to awareness and start a discussion which we hope will be the first step in changing the way we treat each other and talk about each other in the workplace,” Unionen spokesperson Jennie Zetterström told the Times in an email. “It’s important to create awareness about how seemingly small things that we do or say add up to a larger issue.”
And, as Zetterström told the Times, the hotline’s conversation has extended beyond mansplaining. Workers who have called in have sought advice on all forms of subtle sexism — from how women can speak up when conversation is often dominated by male colleagues to how to address situations where men get credit for women’s work.
(Gifts: The 100 Most Influential Images of All Time)
But not everyone sees the value of Unionen’s hotline. The Independent reported that the union’s Facebook page has been hit with a wave of negative comments — “particularly from men” — calling the hotline sexist. Actually…
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Write to Samantha Cooney at samantha.cooney@time.com