Rightly, or wrongly, more conservative Gulf countries like Kuwait are often highlighted in the international media for gender inequality. The situation is undoubtedly improving across the board, thanks to the internet, women’s groups and what appears to be a general mellowing of attitudes.
There are always two sides, if not three, four or five to every story. I was curious to investigate whether there were any jobs that men in the Middle East aren’t allowed to do and lo and behold….
Since January 2007, Kuwaiti, men have been prohibited from working in women’s lingerie stores.
Keeping it Under Wraps in Kuwait
In January ’07, Kuwait issued a decree Sunday banning men from working in shops selling “private” women’s garments like underwear. The decree, issued by the ministry of social affairs and labor, gave businesses three months to implement the ban and replace male staff with female workers or face a fine of up to $700 dollars for each male worker found behind the counter.
The administrative circular number 53/2006 was issued according to a ministerial decree number 165/2006 to ban men from working at shops selling item of intimate apparel.
Special inspectors from the ministry visited stores to enforce the ban (although it’s unclear whether these inspectors were male or female). The ministry also ordered its labour departments to stop recruiting male migrant labourers for employment in women’s lingerie shops.
Posing a Problem for Store Owners
I have to say, even as a very modern girl living in an ultra-modern world, I can see the sense in this – In the European lingerie stores I’ve visited, I think I’ve always been served by a woman and I don’t know how I’d feel buying my smalls from a guy (no offense boys.) After a quick poll of my Arab male friends, all told me they’d feel strange about selling female underwear, particularly the married ones.
Despite the ever-growing number of women working, it’s still more common to be attended by male shop staff in Kuwait, and the pressure to find a job remains much greater for men.
What’s more, a lingerie shop is considered a far cry from the ideal employment establishment for a Kuwaiti woman. Substituting male workers for female in this instance is challenging and shopkeepers have had difficulty complying with the law because it’s tough finding women willing to work in these stores.
The Lingerie Law Engulfs…
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were the first countries to implement the law banning men from working in lingerie boutiques, followed a couple of months later in March 2007, by Sharjah in the UAE. During first month of the Sharjah campaign, 40 shops were found breaching the new lingerie law and 10 outlets were forced to shut down.
Source: www.lovehabibi.com
