Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai'a) said on Saturday that all lingerie shops in the Kingdom should be solely dedicated to women without allowing access for men, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Total feminization of jobs at lingerie shops will take effect in June this year, according to decisions taken by the government earlier. The Hai'a, in a statement, said its chairman, Dr. Abdullatif Bin Abdulaziz Al-Alsheikh, has approved rules and regulations for lingerie shops at a recent meeting he held with Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh to discuss the issue. The regulations require jobs in these shops reserved for Saudi women who are committed to noble religious values and abide by the Islamic dress code. The Hai'a will closely monitor the implementation of the rules to prevent any violations. The Hai'a said in multi-section shopping malls, women's accessories should be sold in separate stalls to which men will not be allowed entry unless accompanied by their wives or female relatives. The regulations call for separating sections selling women's accessories from those selling men's costumes by fixed barriers with heights not less than 160 cm to prevent peeping toms from seeing what is going on in the women's sections. Independent women's accessory shops should be located, as much as possible, close to main gates of shopping centers. “Women should not enter warehouses or offices frequented by salesmen or male customers,” the law says. The Hai'a will establish special teams to oversee the implementation of the decision. Owners of shops flouting the rules will be given 15 days to correct their situations and then will face criminal charges. “This move is aimed at realizing the interests of society and the country under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and within close cooperation between the Hai'a and the Ministry of Labor. It is also aimed at providing Saudi women with jobs most suitable to their nature,” the Hai'a statement said. The Hai'a asked all businessmen and citizens to cooperate with the authorities to make the move to provide honorable job openings for Saudi women a success.
