Quiet Revolution For Saudi Shops Begins In Ladies' Underwear

It is hailed as a major step forward for women's emancipation in Saudi Arabia: in the coming weeks they will enjoy the right to buy lingerie from female shop assistants.

This may be a far cry from bra-burning feminism but in Saudi Arabia the notion of buying one's brassiere from a woman is nothing short of revolutionary.

A new decree requiring shop owners to hire female staff to sell undergarments illustrates the cautious liberalisation the kingdom is undergoing - and how far it has yet to travel.

Its glitzy shopping malls may appear little different from those abroad, with the same global brands dominating the shops. But you soon realise this is a different world altogether.

The assistants standing among the rows of knickers, bras and see-through nighties are all men.

Somehow they presume to know the best underwear for their customers, even though the latter are hidden under baggy cloaks known as "abaya", black headscarves and often the face-covering "niqab".

Pop into the cosmetics stores and those advising on the best blush tones and lipstick colours have beards and moustaches.

"It's embarrassing buying from a man, especially when he tells you what size he thinks you are in underwear," said a 21-year-old student at a shopping mall in Jeddah.

This being a country where the world's most rigorous form of Islam is enforced on the streets by religious police - and the birthplace of Osama bin Laden - the change will not be easy.

Several lingerie shops plan to veil or darken their premises so women can freely buy from other women out of sight of menfolk.

"It will be bad for men who will not be able to buy underwear for women," complained Samar Masri, a lingerie shopkeeper. "Seventy per cent of my customers are men."

One minister, who did not want to be named, said it was the first step in a concerted effort by the authorities to bring more women into the workplace.

"It is more acceptable if it is done on the basis of women selling to women. But it will spread to other areas," he said. "We are heading for more openness, especially for women, but we feel resistance from society."

Since coming to power last year, King Abdallah has signalled his desire to see greater participation by women in public life.

The foreign ministry, for instance, has recruited 40 women and may eventually send some to work in embassies abroad. And, in another sign of growing liberalisation, a recent photo exhibition in Riyadh, part of a wider festival about the life of British Muslims, showed Saudi women striking tantalising poses for the camera.

Saudi reformists agree that the kingdom's most important liberalising force is its government. "Women's participation is a divisive issue. We need the government to pick up the cudgels on our behalf," said Khaled al-Maeena, editor of Arab News.

Women have slowly been asserting themselves in recent years, particularly in more tolerant Jeddah, where men and women, some with heads uncovered, can be seen mixing in restaurants with music playing in the background.

Women were denied the vote in last year's local elections. But they are being elected to professional guilds.

"We thought men would never vote for us and that it would be mission impossible," said one of the women elected, Madani Al-Hassoun. Like many pioneering women in Saudi Arabia, she emphasised the need to move cautiously. "We have to go steadily and respect the tradition," she said.

King Abdallah has publicly floated the idea of abolishing the ban on women driving cars but the roads remain an all-male preserve.

For Ms al-Hassoun, driving is an economic "necessity" to free women from the burden of hiring a driver, but not a "priority".

For clerics such as Sheikh Ali Badahdah things have gone too far. He complained that women had become lax about covering their heads. Some ministers were bowing to pressure to make changes "not compatible with Islam".

2 posted on 04/28/2006 6:20:41 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)

"It will be bad for men who will not be able to buy underwear for women," complained Samar Masri, a lingerie shopkeeper. "Seventy per cent of my customers are men."

How very odd.

I hear they are putting a lot of style in those larger sizes now.

4 posted on 04/28/2006 6:26:10 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)

It is easy to understand how they don't want their society to become ours. Slippery slope and all. Where did I read "Can you imagine Lucy telling Desi 'You are SO laid tonight.'"? E.G., where has our sense of decency gone? I'm am totally NOT condoning what they do, God Bless America.

Martha Burke, leave Hootie alone and tackle the real issues.

According to what I read in a family history, it was common in late 19th century New York for the sellers of womens undergarments in upscale stores to be men.

More recently, some women I know went to a special bra fitting at a department store and claimed that one of the fitters was a man. Nice work if you can get it.

"Seventy percent of my customers are men." That doesn't surprise me a bit. Only now they can't say they are buying their panties for their wives.

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