Indonesia to ban miniskirts in parliament

Indonesia’s House Speaker wants sexy clothing such as mini skirts banned to prevent rape and what he termed immoral acts in the parliament. Women groups are unhappy with the move. They say they need protection and not a dress code.

"We know there have been a lot of rape cases and other immoral acts recently and this is because women aren't wearing appropriate clothes ...Women wearing inappropriate clothes arouse men so it needs to be stopped," said house of representatives speaker Marzuki Alie. "You know what men are like. Provocative clothing will make them do things." Two female lawmakers including a former model have reportedly voiced their support for the ban on miniskirts. But, the founder of Action for Women Against Rape Chicka Noya condemned the call for such a ban, describing it as a ridiculous move coming from the law making body. "We expect them to make regulations to protect women from violence, not condemn them for the way they dress," Noya told the AFP. Governor of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, Fauzi Foke Bowo had six months ago raised concerns over the wearing of miniskirts which he said were responsible for a spate of rape cases on the city's public minibuses. He reportedly called on Indonesian women to desist from wearing miniskirts on public transport. But his remarks were met with a protest by women groups.