JEDDAH, 31 May 2005 — In a country as modest as Saudi Arabia, it’s a little strange that women are supposed to purchase their unmentionables — lingerie and undergarments — from male salespersons.
“All over the world, women sell women lingerie — except in the Kingdom,” said Hanan Bawzeer, a mother of two. “I believe women should have the maximum amount of privacy for such a personal task, and I have never approved of men working such jobs.”
For some women, it’s downright uncomfortable. “Shopping for clothes in general is pretty hard in the Kingdom because no shops offer changing rooms for women,” said Amal Basyoni, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman. “Even if they do, someone could be watching you through those small, hidden digital cameras or tinted glass. That’s what I’ve heard.”
She noted that she waits for her holiday to shop in Cairo. “I don’t think that a woman would feel comfortable picking out lingerie and then discussing its quality, color, size, and price with a total stranger behind the counter,” she said.
With the opening of a few women-only shops, 29-year-old Abeer Abu Al-Foutooh says it has solved some problems, but hopes to see more such shops. “I think that women can shop in such places in comfort with all the privacy they seek,” she said.
Al-Foutooh said most women suffer and complain about having to deal with men to buy their unmentionables.
“It is a silly situation,” she said. “I can’t let a man watch me shop or check my underwear. It’s a very private thing.”
Al-Foutooh no longer goes to stores to shop for lingerie, opting instead to purchase it from women running home-based businesses.
For husbands who can be uncomfortable if other men even look at their wives, imagine what it’s like to watch their wives buying underwear. “I accompanied my wife to a lingerie store, but I couldn’t take it when she was asking the salesman about the latest models,” said Hassan Al-Ahmadi. “So, what I did was that I asked her to leave the place and not to shop there anymore.”
Some male lingerie salesmen dispute the observation that most women are uncomfortable with the current situation.
“I think there are many women who prefer to buy their underwear items from our stores and don’t mind the presence of men in the lingerie section,” said Maher Sadoun, a salesman at 24. “I have served many women, and they come to me asking my help with comfort and satisfaction.”
He pointed out that the city has more than 20 licensed women-only shops and dozens of unlicensed home businesses. They are all working to create a suitable environment for women to shop in comfort. But, they do not cater to all and lack many items so that women still have to deal with a male stranger to buy.
In other words, business continues as usual. “I’ve noticed that many women-only stores don’t succeed and close down after a few months of operation,” he said.
Maher said reaching a solution to this problem may be a little complicated. He said that society ought to make up its mind about the issue and then make a decision.
That may be difficult. After all, it might require officials to mention the unmentionables — probably as uncomfortable for the men as it is for the women to buy them.
