Restrictions on female employees' dress in Jableh spark debate

A circular, issued by the General Authority for Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture in the coastal city of Jableh, has sparked widespread debate after introducing instructions requiring female employees — whether permanent, temporary, or seasonal staff — to adhere to what it described as "modest attire" during official working hours.

The directive states that employees must completely avoid wearing tight or what it described as "revealing" clothing and limit visible body parts to the face and hands while at work, a measure that has prompted mixed reactions among staff within the institution.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the circular was met with surprise and questions from a number of employees, who argued that it constitutes an intrusion into personal freedoms and exceeds the laws and regulations governing employment in public institutions. They also questioned the legal basis for the directive, how it would be enforced, and whether it would remain confined to this institution or be extended to other government bodies.

A-H 

ANHA