Saudi Women to Exclusively Work in Lingerie Shops

Thomas Lippman, reporting for the New York Times, said, “Saudi women shatter the lingerie ceiling.” The Ministry of Labor enforced a Saudi royal decree, issued last summer, mandating sales personnel in women’s apparel and cosmetic shops to be female. Saudi Labour Minister, Adel Faqih, declared, “this is an order from the King … All preparations are under way to fully implement this decision.” The Ministry of Labor reported that more than 28,000 women have applied for the jobs, and the new law could potentially create 40,000 positions for Saudi women. More than 7,300 retail outlets are affected by the ban on male staff, and lingerie shops that do not comply could be closed within six months. Reem Asaad, a political activist that launched a campaign to boycott lingerie shops that employ male staff, commented on the new law, saying, “this is about social awareness … The King had a strategy to support women in the workforce … Our demands have been realized.” Saudi Grand Mufti, Sheik Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, who opposes the mandate, remarked, that “employing women in shops selling female accessories is a crime and disrespectful.” Ibrahim Al Mugaiteeb, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights First Society, believes men selling women’s underwear is “un-Islamic,” and disagreeing with religious clerics who are fighting the change, said, “the march has started – realizing full rights for women in Saudi Arabia. I don’t think anything can stop it now.”