Call to criminalise ‘gender imitation’

Proposal by Bahraini MPs is likely to be rejected for being too vague, unenforceable

Bahrain’s parliament will this week debate a proposal to impose a jail sentence and a fine on any man who “imitates women in their looks, dresses or behaviour” in a public place.

The jail sentence of up to one year and the fine of a maximum of 1,000 dinars will also be imposed on any woman who behaves or looks like a man in breach of public morals and local traditions, the proposal put forward by four lawmakers said.

Lawmakers Jamal Dawood, Ahmad Qarata, Nabeel Al Beloushi and Mohammad Milad said that they wanted to “fill the legislative vacuum in the penal code that did not criminalise behaving or looking like the other gender.”

However, the proposal is likely to be voted down on Tuesday by the Council of Representatives, the lower house of the bicameral parliament.

Government agencies have already turned down the motion, saying that it was too vague and did not specify the undesired behaviour or looks.

The Supreme Council for Women, the official body in charge of empowering women socially, economically and politically and elevating their status, said that the proposal did not specify the criteria for imitating the other gender and wanted to oblige men and women to adopt an appearance and a behaviour that it did not specify.

The proposal clashes with the constitution that guarantees personal freedom, the Council said.

The Ministry of Interior said that the proposal failed to specify the acts, attitudes and appearance that it wanted to criminalise.

Bahrain is seen as among the most liberal countries and most open societies in the Arab world.