Lingerie shops in Bahrain’s Southern Governorate have been banned from hiring male staff and using mannequins to showcase provocative lingerie in shop windows.

The Southern Municipal Council unanimously voted in favour of the move yesterday (April 29), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Councillors said they took the decision after receiving complaints from the public about "inappropriate" window displays, as well as female customers embarrassed about buying underwear from male salesmen.

The proposal was presented by the council's services and public utilities committee chairman Yousif Al Sabbagh, who is a member of the Islamist Al Asala bloc.

"We don't want to get into the religious aspect of banning men from working as salesmen in women's lingerie shops because it is clear to everyone," said Al Sabbagh.

"We are more concerned about the idea of men telling women they are not related to which nightgowns would look good on them.

"Several women have faced embarrassing moments at shops in our governorate, with a male coming to ask if they needed assistance.

"This has given them no option but to leave, despite wanting to buy something, or having problems with the size (if they are uncomfortable trying something on).

"There is an issue with a male staring at a woman's body to estimate her measurements.

"From a moral point of view, this is wrong and has to change, not just in our governorate but across Bahrain."

Kuwait recently introduced a similar ban on men working in lingerie shops, while Saudi Arabia introduced the rule in 2013.

However, Al Sabbagh said scantily-clad mannequins must also be removed from shop windows because they were "unacceptable".

"We have repeatedly asked for those mannequins to be removed for a decade now," he said.

"If shops want to continue having mannequins, then provocative garments should not be put on them.

"Everyone knows what women's lingerie and underwear shops are, so going full frontal is unacceptable.

"There is an issue that needs to be addressed here. The whole operation of those shops is going in a completely wrong direction." - TradeArabia News Service