Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah decreed that only women would be allowed to work in the kingdom's lingerie shops.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah decreed that only women would be allowed to work in the kingdom's lingerie shops.
The issue of Saudi women working in lingerie shops was at the center of a dispute three years ago between the labour ministry and the powerful religious authority, which issued a fatwa banning such jobs.
The king's decree was part of a push to reduce high female unemployment in the conservative kingdom. Saudi women have long complained they feel uncomfortable having to buy lingerie from men and would prefer female sales assistants.
Fatima Garub, the founder of a Facebook campaign called "Enough Embarrassment," welcomed the king's decision, saying that it would create about 6,000 jobs for Saudi women. "From now, embarrassment will end. We thank the king, who felt our problem and took the decision that we have been waiting for a long time," Garub said. Unemployment among women in the oil-rich Gulf state is estimated at about 30 per cent.
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