By perpetuating the use of the term 'wife-beater' to describe a type of sleeveless vest worn, primarily, by men and boys, two main harms are done.

The first is that the term wife-beater is trivialised, decontextualized and rendered 'a joke'. This is in the face of epidemic levels of violence against women in the UK, with approx 2 women per week killed by current or former partners/husbands.

The second is that it perpetuates a myth about the 'type' of man who perpetrates violence against women. It suggests they are variants on the stereotype of 'trailer trash' (US) or council estate thug (UK). These classist stereotypes serve to denigrate the working class by suggesting that they are the typical perpetrators of VAWG. This is false. The maintenance of this stereotype clouds popular understanding of the social prevalence of VAWG, which cuts across all groups, socially, economically and ethnically.

Promoting the 'joke' use of the phrase 'wife-beater' to refer to an item of clothing marketed widely - including to young boys - is in clear violation of eBay's stated 'Community Values' which are:

• We believe people are basically good.
• We believe everyone has something to contribute.
• We believe that an honest, open environment can bring out the best in people.
• We recognise and respect everyone as a unique individual.
• We encourage you to treat others the way that you want to be treated. eBay is committed to these values. And we believe that our community members should also honour these values -- whether buying, selling, or chatting. We hope these community values will help you better understand the eBay community.