The Danish High Court has overturned a ruling by equality board Ligebehandlingsnævnet stating that women were discriminated against because they had to pay more to have their hair cut than men.
The equality board made its ruling two years ago after a short-haired woman complained that it was unfair she was charged more than her male counterparts.
The High Court’s ruling was met with joy by a number of organisations, including hairdressing chain Stender, which appealed against the initial ruling, and advocacy group Dansk Organisation for selvstaendige Frisorer og Kosmetikere (DOFK). DOFK spokesperson Connie Mikkelsen said that she nearly “jumped for joy” when she heard the news as things turned out exactly how she hoped they would.
The High Court ruled that male and female haircuts were two technically different services, stating that cutting a woman’s hair was more demanding and, therefore, the fact it cost more was not discriminatory. The ruling also stated that describing services as a “master clip” or a “ladies’ cut” was not discriminatory.
Mikkelsen said the court’s judgment meant men will not have to fork out more for their haircut, adding that it was good news all round because hairdressers cannot afford to take a pay cut as they are paid by commission.