Backlash against bid to police women’s attire

THE Malaysian government’s plan to introduce a dress code for Muslim women in the workplace has sparked a backlash from women’s rights groups, which accuse officials of acting like “fashion police”.

Women in the Muslim-majority country, which has a large population of ethnic and religious minorities, have been barred from government offices in the past for attire that officials deemed as indecent, such as skirts or shorts. Those who work in the public service already follow regulations that prohibit women from wearing sleeveless tops or skirts above knees.

But the government now says it is in the final stage of drawing up guidelines for Muslim women in the private sector, which will comply with Islamic principles.

No details have been made public, but women’s rights groups condemned the dress code. Tan Heang Lee of the Women’s Aid Organisation, branded it as “dehumanising”.

“There has been a trend where various agencies attempt to police women’s bodies and their clothing,” she said. “Why is there this obsession with what women wear?”

“They should be focusing on women’s talent and capability. The last thing we should be thinking of is the length of a woman’s skirt.”

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, a minister who oversees religious affairs, told parliament this week that the guidelines were meant to protect Muslim women who wished to wear to headscarves or other Islamic garb.

Islamic groups have previously complained about policies at some hotels that reportedly banned female front line staff from wearing headscarves. Some groups have also criticised female flight attendant uniforms as being too tight and un-Islamic.

The leading rights group Sisters in Islam said the government should, instead of focusing on women’s clothing, prioritise eliminating discrimination to protect women from “injustices and bigotry”. “It is not right to try to control what women wear,” said spokesperson Majidah Hashim.

Siti Zailah Yusoff, a female lawmaker from the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, who is in favour of a dress code, said on Twitter that covering up is an “obligation” under Islam.

The controversy has re-ignited a debate about rising conservatism and gender inequality in Malaysia, which was ranked 104 out of 144 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Gender Gap Index after scoring poorly on political empowerment. – Thomson Reuters Foundation

Covering up is an ‘obligation’ under Islam…