Manspreading is a term used to describe the tendency of men to sit with their knees pointing outwards. It’s apparently a big problem.

The Daily Mail reports:

The END of manspreading? University student fed up with ‘men infringing on her public space’ wins national design award for creating chair that restricts how they sit down

A university student has won a national award for designing a chair that stops men from manspreading.

Laila Laurel, 23, created the piece of furniture to stop men from widening their legs and encroaching on other people’s personal space.

Two bits of wood are cleverly positioned on the seat to physically stop whoever is sitting down from moving their legs apart.

The word ‘manspreading’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2015 following an online campaign against the practice since 2013.

The dictionary definition is the ‘practice of a man sitting on public transport with his legs wide apart, taking up more space than he needs and preventing other people from sitting down’.

Ms Laurel, who graduates in 3D Design and Craft from the University of Brighton later this month, has been commended for her innovative creation.

She won an award for emerging talent in the design industry called the Belmond Award, which calls for imaginative and cleverly presented ideas.

Speaking about her inspiration, Ms Laurel said: ‘It came from my own experiences of men infringing on my space in public.

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