RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development cited 22 women-only shops in the capital for employing male workers in violation of the law during the course of this week.
The detection was made by a team of inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development when they visited these outlets to ascertain whether the places were occupied by women. Some of the 22 shops were closed and others received warnings.
Men are banned from working in lingerie shops following a royal decree issued by the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Women, in general, welcomed the ban, because it ended the embarrassment suffered by women at such shops, besides generating thousands of job opportunities for Saudi women.
The special regulations for women-only shops stipulate that the interior of the shops are not visible from the outside, and that men are not allowed to enter them. If the shop is meant for families, the view from outside should not be blocked.
Male and female workers should not work together in a shop except in those shops that have separate divisions. In these shops, there should be at least three women working on the same shift, the Labor and Social Development Ministry’s regulations specify.
If the shop is standing alone or part of a commercial complex without any special security measures, there should be a security guard or electronic security system in place in the shop, according to the regulations.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and general supervisor of the ministry’s branch in Riyadh Abdel Bin Yassin Al-Shehri said that the inspection comes as part of its campaign to feminize these outlets that are solely meant for women.
The supervisor general said that the ministry would welcome complaints from the members of the public on matters related to the women-only shops.
They can register their complaints through the website: https://rasd.ma3an.gov.sa, or call the customer service number 19911, which will take immediate action against such violations.
The detection was made by a team of inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development when they visited these outlets to ascertain whether the places were occupied by women. Some of the 22 shops were closed and others received warnings.
Men are banned from working in lingerie shops following a royal decree issued by the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Women, in general, welcomed the ban, because it ended the embarrassment suffered by women at such shops, besides generating thousands of job opportunities for Saudi women.
The special regulations for women-only shops stipulate that the interior of the shops are not visible from the outside, and that men are not allowed to enter them. If the shop is meant for families, the view from outside should not be blocked.
Male and female workers should not work together in a shop except in those shops that have separate divisions. In these shops, there should be at least three women working on the same shift, the Labor and Social Development Ministry’s regulations specify.
If the shop is standing alone or part of a commercial complex without any special security measures, there should be a security guard or electronic security system in place in the shop, according to the regulations.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and general supervisor of the ministry’s branch in Riyadh Abdel Bin Yassin Al-Shehri said that the inspection comes as part of its campaign to feminize these outlets that are solely meant for women.
The supervisor general said that the ministry would welcome complaints from the members of the public on matters related to the women-only shops.
They can register their complaints through the website: https://rasd.ma3an.gov.sa, or call the customer service number 19911, which will take immediate action against such violations.
