Turkmenistan: The state tightens dress code regulations

This May, the government discussed making the national dress code even stricter, although they stopped short of signing any official decrees.

However, local authorities enforce an unofficial dress code which goes further than the 1994 decree in many schools and the government is beginning to clamp down on other state employees as well.

In spring, the authorities banned all medical staff from wearing jewellery to work and introduced a uniform for national television centre workers - a long blue traditional Turkmen dress for women and brown trousers, a sleeveless jacket and skullcap for men.

NBCentralAsia observers say that the authorities are trying to assert themselves by exerting greater discipline over state workers.

A teacher from Abadan city in Akhal oblast, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that school administrations check to make sure that female teachers are wearing a high-collared dress that reaches their heels. Anyone caught breaking the code may be sacked.

“We dress however they want us to. It’s silly to lose your job over something so stupid,” said the teacher.

An NBCentralAsia observer in Ashgabat says that most teachers are not particularly bothered by the code because they tend to wear national dress anyway, but some Russian language teachers take exception.

“This is a secular state so why should I go to school wearing a headscarf?” said one teacher from Ashgabat.

Teachers are “deeply disappointed” that the authorities are focusing on what they wear rather than, for instance, raising computer literacy or phasing out classes on the Ruhnama, the personal philosophy of late president for life Sapurmat Niazov.

30 August 2007

Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting