Blog Number 8: Russia to Blame for Islamic Women's Dress Code

Colleen Mills

Blog Number 8: Russia to Blame for Women’s Islamic Dress Code

3:10 PM

In Russia, it was recently reported by Human Rights Watch officials that the ‘Virtue Campaign’ influenced many young men to shoot at women with paintball guns in supporting such a campaign. Many attacks even included security forces. President Ramzan Kadryov backed the campaign and its policies. In 2007, President Ramzan Kadryov banned women from entering state buildings if their head was not covered. However, this is a violation of Russian law. The ban is still enforced daily, nonetheless. Ever since this ban, unofficial campaigns have started in an attempt to limit Chechen women’s freedoms.

One woman said that she is now terrified to leave her house without covering her head because of the paintball incident she endured. President Ramzan Kadryov actually praised the paintball attackers. Later, leaflets were circulated warning women that more “persuasive measures” would be taken if the women did not wear a headscarf.

This dress code violates the rights of a private life, personal autonomy, freedom of expression, and freedom of thought, religion, and conscience.

This is a small incident that is linked to a much larger issue globally. It is sad to say that as one country begins to limit women’s rights, other countries will hesitate less to do the same.
Another issue is that women’s rights are being violated because they are not being protected by their government. This means that women have no means to protect themselves now from their attackers as the attackers are the officials who sanction social norms or cruelty to others.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12705300