Bank Melli Circular for Female Employees: Wearing Noisy Shoes and Makeup Prohibited
As part of intensifying measures against what the Iranian government calls “improper hijab,” Bank Melli has issued a circular prohibiting female employees from wearing high heels and thin socks, as well as prohibiting female secretaries for managers.
According to the circular, whose image was published by the Iran Watch news site on Tuesday, July 5, wearing high heels and noisy shoes, thin socks, unconventional jewelry for women, and female secretaries for bank managers have been prohibited.
The circular was issued following an order from the bank’s CEO to implement letters from the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” headquarters and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. According to the circular, even women wearing chadors must use a headscarf that covers not only their hair but also their neck and shoulders at least down to their chest.
In recent days, numerous reports have emerged from across Iran about intensifying measures against “improper hijab” and forcing women to observe “religious hijab.”
On Tuesday, an order from the Mayor of Mashhad was released regarding a prosecutor’s letter to prevent “improperly veiled” women from entering the metro, stating that despite the request having “no legal basis,” the conditions for implementing this “judicial order” should be provided.
In response to this order being called “illegal” on social networks, the Young Journalists Club, citing Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the General Prosecutor of the country, wrote: “The letter from the Deputy Prosecutor of Mashhad is within the framework of the law, but necessary measures should have been considered in this regard.”
However, Mr. Jafari did not explain what the legal basis is for prohibiting the provision of services to improperly veiled women or what he meant by “necessary measures.”
According to Article 570 of the Islamic Penal Code, “Any official or employee of institutions and government agencies who, contrary to law, deprives citizens of their personal freedom or deprives them of the rights stipulated in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to dismissal from service and disqualification from government positions for one to five years, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of two months to three years.”
Source: Radio Farda
