Saudi lingerie shops get 3 mths to replace males

Saudi Arabia has given its lingerie shops three months to replace all their male workers with women within a drive to find jobs for its citizens and respond to protests by embarrassed female customers.

Shops involved in cosmetics and other female items were also told to hire only women by mid 2012 and to make modifications inside their premises to ensure no men would be able to see female clients. 

“The Ministry of Labour is pushing ahead with feminisation and Saudisation of all work force inside lingerie shops and other businesses involved in selling women’s items,” the ministry’s assistant undersecretary Ali bin Suleiman said at a seminar in Riyadh this week to explain lingerie feminisation measures. 

He said all women hired by those shops must comply with local dress, including head cover and the traditional Arabian gown. He said the decision also stipulates that those shops set up security systems to ensure protection for women. 

“Shops which fail to comply with the feminisation and Saudisation measures will be deprived from government services, including visas for workers and change of sponsorship….the ministry’s inspectors will carry out regular inspection visits to ensure all shops abide by the new rules.” 

The decision, which has been approved by the Saudi cabinet, followed an intensive campaign by local women early this year to demand the replacement of salesmen with women at all lingerie shops in the conservative Gulf Kingdom. 

The campaign, which was launched in the local media and Facebook, was dubbed “enough embarrassment” and was supported by many Moslem scholars, intellects and other prominent male personalities. 

Saudi Arabia is suffering from relatively high unemployment rate because of a rapid growth in its indigenous population and low economic growth in some years. Another factor is the reluctance of the private sector to hire Saudis as it prefers cheaper and more skilled foreign labour. 

Official data showed the joblessness rate stood at 10.5 per cent in 2010 but the rate among women was far higher, standing at 26.6 per cent.

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