New Delhi: The Saudi authorities have launched an investigation following allegations that a female TV presenter, Shireen al-Rifaie, was wearing “indecent” clothing on television. Dressed in an abaya (a loose robe) and a headscarf, the Dubai-based Al Aan TV presenter was reporting on the lifting of the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia. A gust of wind revealed her clothes underneath the abaya for a few seconds, which is what sparked the controversy.
Rejecting the allegations, al-Rifaie has said, “I was wearing decent clothes, and God will reveal the truth of what has been said to me,” she told Saudi news site, Ajel.
Ajel also reported that the TV presenter had returned to UAE following the incident.
The clip was widely shared on social media with an Arabic hashtag saying,”naked_woman_driver_in_Riyadh”. On June 26, the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media announced that an investigation has been launched into the video clip of an unnamed TV presenter for wearing “clothing which was indecent, in violation of regulations and instructions”. In Saudi Arabia’s conservative society, women’s attire has always tended to attract special attention and scrutiny.
While previously all women in Saudi Arabia were required to follow a strict dress code, wear abayas and headscarves in public, recent years have witnessed a relaxation in such strict norms. Three months ago, the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, said that women need to dress modestly but they need not necessarily wear abayas. “The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has been trying to relax its rules for women, as it recently lifted the driving ban on women. However, many among those who made this progressive gender shift – possible by keeping the pressure on the ruling regime – continue to languish in jail. Despite this progressive move made by the authorities, many are questioning if the ban was lifted for women’s empowerment or for saving the country’s economy.
Martin Hvidt, a professor at the Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, argues that with increasing population and limited oil income, this move seems to be more to boost the economy than to uplift women. The driving ban made men less productive at work, as they had to take breaks from work to drive women around. While the old model worked well with a small population and a thriving oil economy, that scenario has changed over the years, Hvidt argues.
The revocation of ban on women drivers, many in Saudi Arabia believe, has indeed launched a new era for women in the country. A move that will eventually empower them and make them visible in public space.
However, women have been and still continue to be at the receiving end of abuse if seen without wearing an abaya/headscarf. Women appearing in public without the robe often receive death threats and abuse on social media. Some are even arrested for defying the dress code. In June 2017, the video of a model – Khulood (Snapchat name) – wearing a crop top and skirt went viral. After the video was published, the woman was arrested. While she admitted that it was her in the video, she said that it was posted without her knowledge. She was later released after interrogation, without any charges. Two women were sentenced to 20 lashes and ten days in jail for using indecent language on WhatsApp in an incident in 2016.