City of Moscow is promoting a "husband for an hour" service to women

[davidn3600]

Moscow’s city administration wants to offer the capital’s struggling residents a new social service – a husband for an hour, according to local news reports.

The hired “husbands” would be available to perform tasks traditionally viewed as a man’s job in a Russian household, such as replacing a leaky tap or putting up shelves, deputy chief of the City Hall’s social protection department Andrei Besshtanko told Izvestia newspaper.

The City Hall’s social service will be free of charge for low-income households and available at a moderate fee to others, the report said.

Companies offering similar services already exist in Moscow’s private sector.

“Husband For An Hour Moscow” is one of several dozen companies which promise “young and strong men with a huge set of technical skills,” who will perform handyman work around the clock, according to its website.

If the company’s sales pitch is anything to go by, the do-it-yourself trend – or female emancipation – seems not to have quite caught on yet.

“You’ve just spent a long time in a store selecting a new light fixture for your hallway to perfectly match your new decor,” the company’s online statement reads.

“But you’re a beautiful woman with a killer manicure , and you’re not ready to get intimate with a buzzing and horribly vibrating drill. Who can come to your aid?”

“Assertive men, who’ll call themselves your husband for an hour, are on their way to your home,” the ad reads.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/10/moscow-announces-plans-for-rent-a-husband-social-service

[Scootaloo]

1. From my understanding, the Slavic world isn't especially "forward" on gender issues

I watch a youtuber who's living in Bulgaria. According to him it's common practice for men to just randomly come up and "help" women with packagaes and bags they're carrying, whether wanted or not. Also for women to dress up in their 'sunday best" before going for a ten-minute walk.

[jmowreader]

7. The "Sunday best" thing is pan-European custom

Let's just say there's no European equivalent to http://www.peopleofwalmart.com nor will there ever be.

[bettyellen]

10. Yep, traveling from the airport to Moscow by train I was shocked....

Every time I got to a set of stairs with my suitcase, a dude picked it up and carried it up for me. Then gave a nod and a smile, after putting it down.
And loads of women do the hyper feminine thing, loads of makeup, tight skirts, high heels.
Very different than western Europe.

[NYC_SKP]

2. "young and strong men with a huge set of..."

"young and strong men with a huge set of technical skills,” who will perform handyman work around the clock, according to its website."

Oh, never mind.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Emphasis on HUGE set of "technical skills"

Is Jerry available?

[NYC_SKP]

8. Well, I'm a DQ on the Young and Strong....

Yeah, baby, "Paging Jerry" "Jerry the Tapir, please come to the white courtesy phone."

[Shrike47]

3. I understand that Russia believes its' birthrate is too low. A solution?

[jmowreader]

4. Sexist crap aside, this isn't a bad idea

There are a LOT of jobs you shouldn't take on alone no matter who you are - hanging miniblinds, installing fluorescent fixtures and anything that has a lot of weight to it come immediately to mind. And neighbors are never home when you need them...so a "rental neighbor" or, as they put it, "rental husband" could come in very handy.

I wonder if men could hire these "husbands for an hour" to come over and help bleed the brakes on their cars, or if the service is only available to women?

[Major Hogwash]

5. Snowden's got a job!

At least part-time, anyway.

[alarimer]

9. Really? Fixing a leaky faucet?

There are other things that take less than an hour. Just saying.