A female-only security check service was launched at the China’s Haikou Meilan International Airport on July 22.

According to the airport in the southern province of Hainan, the gender-segregated lane will shorten waiting time and improve efficiency. In addition, protect the privacy of female passengers to the maximum extent possible.

A security team consisting of nine female staff members has been established and measures have been introduced to guide female passengers. The airport said that the female-only security check line has been running smoothly after it came into service.

The special line has triggered heated debate online. Some argue that the “female-only” concept is a form of sexism. Others consider it as a form of respect.

Wang Hao, a researcher with the Transport Planning and Research Institute under China’s Ministry of Transport, said checkpoint is a caring measure. He said that physical contact is inevitable during security checks and this could reduce unnecessary problems.

However, some experts have a different opinion. Security checks are supposed to be carried out in public and have nothing to do with privacy, said Ma Leijun, senior project officer of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Special care should be given to women during pregnancy, the prenatal period, and lactation, Ma explained, adding that over-protection is indeed discrimination.