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Cambodian women post swimwear photos to protest law on how they dress - Reuters

taretmakeup Şubat 20, 2022

Cambodian women post swimwear photos to protest law on how they dress - Reuters

Cambodian women post swimwear photos to protest law on how they dress - Reuters

Posted: 06 Aug 2020 06:40 AM PDT

PHNOM PENH (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Cambodian women have rallied on social media to condemn a proposed law governing the way people dress in public, including by posting images of themselves in swimwear and skimpy outfits, with a petition also set up to block the move.

Billed as necessary to preserve Cambodian tradition, the law would prohibit women from wearing anything deemed "too short" or "too see-through" and has drawn criticism for being vague and encouraging a culture of victim blaming.

The draft legislation, which will take effect next year if approved by several government ministries and the national assembly, would also ban men from going out shirtless in the socially conservative Southeast Asian country.

"Congrats, we're going back to 1960s," artist Lisa Mam posted on Facebook.

Painters, filmmakers, writers and musicians were among those criticising the law, with some questioning the role of the ministry for women's affairs as restrictions on women's appearance increase.

Multiple spokespeople from the ministry declined to comment or did not respond to requests.

In recent years, actresses and singers have been increasingly targeted by the government over their attire, with some facing bans on performing.

There was a public outcry when a woman was jailed for six months in April on pornography and indecent exposure charges for wearing "provocative" outfits while selling clothes over Facebook live stream.

But news of the proposed law has taken the discussion to a new level, said Eng Chandy, a programme manager at the Gender and Development for Cambodia charity.

"It is rare for a draft law to be shared like this, giving us the chance to discuss it as a society," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"The reaction on social media is very positive: people from all parts of society are talking about gender equality."

An online petition condemning the proposed law had almost 14,000 signatures as of Thursday, to the surprise of its author, recent high school graduate Tan Molika.

"Originally, I had no plans with the petition other than to raise awareness," Molika said.

"Turns out that everyone is so against it to the point where I've gotten a few requests for me to submit the petition to the government."

Women rights groups fear the new law could put women at further risk of sexual harassment and violence by fostering a culture of victim-blaming.

Many Cambodians still expect women to be submissive and quiet, a legacy of the Chbap Srey - an oppressive centuries-old code of conduct for women that the United Nations said last year should be "fully eliminated" from schools.

In a 2019 review of Cambodia, the U.N. highlighted "social norms that justify gender-based violence ... and blame the victim rather than the perpetrator".

Reporting by Matt Blomberg, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Say goodbye to the floor-length skirt: Air Force now allows women to wear pants with mess dress - AirForceTimes.com

Posted: 05 Aug 2020 06:28 AM PDT

Women in the Air Force are now allowed to wear pants or a standard-length skirt with their mess dress uniforms, the service said Tuesday.

Until now, female airmen have only been able to wear a floor-length skirt with the mess dress, typically worn during formal occasions such as Air Force balls or enlisted dining-out ceremonies. The change, which was prompted by "overwhelming feedback from the field," goes into effect immediately.

"It's our responsibility to provide flexible uniform options that are functional and comfortable for all air and space professionals," Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, the Air Force's personnel chief, said in the release. "We have a lot of people working really hard to review our existing policies to make sure there are no unintended barriers or unfair practices that may be impacting specific groups of people on our team. We still have our work cut out for us, but this is a step in the right direction in creating an inclusive culture."

But it will likely be another 18 months to two years before women can buy mess dress slacks made specifically for them. In the meantime, the Air Force said, women are now authorized to buy men's mess dress trousers and get them altered.

The Air Force has had several different service dress jackets through the years. For the next service jacket, officials are looking to historic uniforms for inspiration. They hope to come up with a jacket that has more of a military look. (Tech. Sgt. Cohen Young/Air Force)

Army and Air Force Exchange Service locations will alter men's mess dress trousers for women at no charge, the Air Force said.

And even after women's mess dress pants are available, the Air Force said women will still be allowed to wear altered men's pants if they choose. And they will still have the option of wearing the floor-length skirt if they want to.

The Air Force issued an exception-to-policy memo outlining the changes, which will be formally included in the next update to the Air Force Instruction governing dress and personal appearance.

Red mini dress triggers spat over dress code for female lawmakers - The Korea Herald

Posted: 05 Aug 2020 09:26 PM PDT


A red mini dress sported by a young female lawmaker during the latest assembly session is stirring up a heated spat over what is suitable for female lawmakers to wear on duty.

Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party drew public attention as photos of her walking down an aisle during a plenary parliamentary session Tuesday in a red wrap dress circulated online.

As online reactions were largely divided on the fashion choice of Ryu, the youngest member of the assembly at age 28, some internet forum users launched misogynistic verbal attacks on the lawmaker.

A member of a pro-government Facebook forum on Wednesday said Ryu looked as if she "came to the main assembly hall to collect payments for alcohol."   

As similar misogynistic comments continued, the Justice Party and other female lawmakers came forward to defend Ryu.

"Some of the criticisms against her carry sexually discriminating prejudices (against women). We express strong regrets," the Justice Party said in a statement.

In a Facebook post, Rep. Ko Min-jung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) thanked Ryu for "shattering excessive rigorism and authoritarianism at the National Assembly."

Ryu herself said the dress was meant to show her determination to fight the male dominance culture in the assembly as represented by the predominant dress code of a suit and a tie.

"In every plenary session, most (lawmakers), male and in their middle age, show up in a suit and a necktie, and I wanted to shatter that tradition," she told Yonhap News Agency over the phone.

"The authority of the National Assembly is not built upon those suits," Ryu said, adding that she will wear various other outfits to the assembly.

The latest dress code spat targeting a young female lawmaker came as the current 21st National Assembly has the biggest-ever proportion of women. 

Women account for 57 of the assembly's 300 seats, or 19 percent. The 21st assembly also inaugurated the first-ever female member in its leadership, with Rep. Kim Sang-hee of the DP assuming the first vice speaker seat given to a female lawmaker.

Ryu, who was elected on a proportional representational ticket, is the youngest member of the chamber and the only lawmaker aged below 30. (Yonhap)
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