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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 05 Jan 2016 : 12:30:35
Gambia orders female workers 'to cover hair'
BBC Online
 The Gambia's government has banned its female employees from leaving their hair uncovered at work, a leaked memo quoted by private newspapers says.
Women should use a "head tie and neatly wrap their hair", the memo said, without giving reasons for the ban.
Last month, The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh declared the Muslim-majority country an Islamic republic.
He added that no dress code would be imposed and citizens of other faiths would be allowed to practise freely.
The Gambia is popular with Western tourists because of its beaches.
Mr Jammeh withdrew the former British colony from the Commonwealth in 2013, describing the organisation as neo-colonial.
Read More....... |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 14 Jan 2016 : 09:23:58
Head tie directive has been lifted!
Jammeh lifts directive on head-tie for women during working hours
The Point: Thursday, January 14, 2016
President Yahya Jammeh has lifted the recent directive of putting on a head-tie for women working in public offices during working hours.
This was announced in the state TV newscast last night.
“[Women] are his friends and he is there for their well-being and happiness at all times,” the news release stated, adding that since the decision would make them unhappy “it has been accordingly lifted”.
The release stated further that the general public should be informed that the directive for women to put on a head dress, not hijab, in all public offices during working hours has nothing to do with religion.
Women, according to the news release, are President Jammeh’s best friends
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| Momodou |
Posted - 07 Jan 2016 : 19:13:13
Women Civil Servants Start Putting On Head Ties
By MUHAMMED Sailu BAH
Foroyaa: January 7, 2016
Foroyaa received information that a circular has been sent to all government departments, institutions and agencies requiring all women staff to put on a head ties during working hours.
In order to confirm the veracity of the information, this reporter visited some government and parastatal offices in Banjul on Wednesday, 6 January, 2016 and was shown a copy of a circular from the personnel management office (PMO) dated 4 January and addressed to all permanent secretaries and heads of departments and agencies and copied to the secretary general and head of the civil service. The said circular indicated that an “executive directive has been issued that all female staff within Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are no longer allowed to expose their hair during officials working hours with effect from December 31, 2015. Female staff are urged to use head tie and neatly wrap their hair.” It further urged the department/institution heads to urgently implement the directive. It concluded that “All are strictly advised to adhere to this new directive.”
At the Social Security and Housing Finance Cooperation (SSHFC), all the female members of staff were seen covering their hair in different forms either as ‘hijab’ or veil or the normal traditional head tie.
When this reporter enquired from one of the female member of staff of SSHFC whether she is putting on a head scarf because of the purported directive, she responded in the positive. “We are told to do this,” she added.
A senior manager told this reporter that he has not yet seen any written communication on the issue but has heard about from people.
Visiting the ministry of basic and secondary education, a similar situation was found there were all the women met on the corridors and in offices are covering their hair. The women who were met in the office of the permanent secretary were also seen covering their hair.
At the Quadrangle which housed many ministries and depertments, only a handful of women, who cannot be confirmed whether they are civil servants or not, were seen not covering their heads. Otherwise, everybody else was putting on either the hijab or the normal traditional head tie.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 07 Jan 2016 : 19:00:14
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE ON HEAD TIES
An exercise in arbitrariness and impunity
Foroyaa Editorial: January 7, 2016
Foroyaa received information that an executive directive has been issued indicating that all female staff within the Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are no longer allowed to expose their hair during official working hours effective December 31 2015. Female staff are urged to use the head tie and neatly wrap their hair.
All Heads of Departments and Agencies are urgently advised to implement the directive and bring it to the attention of their female staff within their line departments and agencies. All are strictly advised to adhere to the new directive.
The Directive takes the form of advice instead of an ultimatum and warning.
The directive did not say what would happen if it is not adhered to. This directive is not based on any regulation. It is arbitrary, unreasonable and unjustifiable in a democratic society.
Foroyaa will do a voice pop to know what women organisations have to say.
Section 169 of the Constitution is very clear. It reads:
“(1) No public servant shall be –
(a) victimised or discriminated against either directly or indirectly for having discharged his or
her duties faithfully and according to law;
(b) be removed from office or reduced in rank or otherwise punished without just cause.”
Hence no woman should be victimised for not having a head tie. What would it be like for women judges putting head ties on their wigs? Food for thought!
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| Momodou |
Posted - 07 Jan 2016 : 17:04:33
PDOIS’ POSITION ON HEAD TIES FOR WOMEN AND WITCH HUNTING
Patriarchy In State Administration (The Contradictory Statements and Values of The Executive)
Foroyaa: January 7, 2016
Issued By Halifa Sallah 6th January 2016
For the Central Committee
 On 4th January 2016, a memorandum is reported to have been issued by the Personnel Management Office indicating the Halifa 5following: “This is to inform you that an executive directive has been issued that all female staff within Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are no longer allowed to expose their hair during officials working hours with effect from December 31, 2015. Female staff are urged to use head tie and neatly wrap their hair.
“All Heads of Departments and Agencies are urgently advised to implement this directive and bring it to the attention of their female staff within their departments and agencies. All are strictly advised to adhere to this new directive.”
The women of the Gambia are told daily that the President of the Republic stands for their welfare. However, the President of the Republic has not hesitated to support beauty contests among school girls and rewarded them with scholarships but is now telling adult women how to dress. This is the height of patriarchy. This is the danger posed by self perpetuating rule and having permanent male dominance of high office. The women of the Gambia have a duty to put an end to such male arrogance and chauvinism by becoming politically active and struggle to occupy the highest posts or ensure that no male occupies that post who would treat women as their children, chattel or possessions.
The executive should be told in unequivocal terms that women employees are not children. They are adults with their ways of life to live. Some have husbands and others are either without or are hoping to attract a partner. They would not wear what they are not comfortable in wearing. When one visits offices one finds women with and without head ties. Some put on Islamic attire and others have their hair plaited. Each dresses according to her own taste. This is their own prerogative.
Employers who do not buy clothes for them have no right to tell them how to dress or manage their hair. Women who hold strong Islamic values need not be told to put on veil. They know what their religious obligations are but there are those who do not hold those values. They and their male partners go to night clubs and so on and so forth. Those are their values. They have no other obligation but to give service to the state for money.
A man with moral values would not be intimidated by the way women dress not to mention the way the woman styles her hair. Any man who is tempted to rape a woman because of dress is a virtual beast. No human being should enjoy pleasure from the pain of another human being. Any religious person should know that the world is both for the religious and the mundane and no religious person would compel others to live a life in the open that they are opposed to in secret. That would amount to sheer double standards. To put on head tie in office only to put it in one’s bag after office simply transforms women into robots and marionettes at the mercy of the executive. They would do things just to obey executive orders. Those who respect women would not subject them to executive orders which are not based on any law or regulation but on the mere whims and caprices of a person in position of power. Absolute power leads to unrestrained impunity.
Pious people know the type of world they would want to live in but cannot impose their values on others whose ways of life are not a threat to theirs. If Gambians with certain values cannot tolerate others with different values they would still co- exist with tourists or travel to countries where they would have to accept diversity. Uniformity in social values only exists in fairy tale. There should be no compulsion in the way a woman should maintain her hair.
Hence, for once the women Federation should go and tell the President to practice what he preached in Brufut. He said: “being a Muslim is to worship according to the Quran and Sunaa and let others also worship according to their beliefs. I have not appointed anybody as an Islamic Police. The way the women should dress is not your business…….”
Now are Permanent Secretaries and directors not being reduced to moral police officers to enforce moral codes?
Mr. President, the way women should manage their hair is not the business of the executive. This is their personal life and no one should infringe on their freedom of choice on how they should look. A person of clout does not exploit soft targets to promote an agenda. We wish to assure you that if you insist on dictating how women should maintain their hair in offices you will alienate yourself from many of the women folk of the country.
It would be interesting to see how female soldiers and police officers would put caps on top of head ties to function. The future will tell how women originations would react to such intrusion in the private lives of women .Let us now move to the issue of witchcraft.
ABDUCTING A PERSON FOR WITCHCRAFT IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
The Gambian citizen is a Sovereign Citizen. He or she is entitled to fundamental rights. Section 19 of the Constitution Subsection 1 states: “every person shall have the right to liberty and Security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one should be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established by law.”
To abduct an innocent person is a crime!
Section 21 adds that “No one shall be subject to torture or inhuman degrading punishment or treatment.”
To make a person to drink hallucinogenic concoctions is a crime!
Section 23 adds: “No person shall be subject to interference with the privacy of his or her home …..”
To invade the home and houses of innocent people is a crime!
Section 37 of the Constitution adds “If any person alleges that any of the provisions dealing with fundament rights are being or is likely to be contravened in relation against the person one may apply to the High Court for redress.”
The High Court has responsibility to prevent any abuse of rights. PDOIS is ready to receive any complaint of anybody abducted and maltreated in connection with witchcraft. Families must give solidarity to their family members by identifying abductors and stand ready to name them in court. Families must no longer be complacent. People shout thief when their hens are being stolen and should therefore raised more alarm when their kith and kin is being abducted .They should distinguish those who are to enforce the law and those who are taking the law in their own hands.
It is time to make the High Court to work to protect rights. If there is any delay in the High Court we will assist victims to go to the ECOWAS Court and move on up to the ICC. Abduction and administering hallucinogenic drugs to innocent citizens are not acceptable. What happened before will not be allowed to happen again without grave cost .Those who take the law into their hands and act like prosecutors and judges at the same time would pay the price if families take a stand to give evidence.
We cannot stop people from having their beliefs but they must find ways of protecting themselves other than making unsubstantiated allegations against citizens like themselves. If people believe that there are witches, they should know how to identify them. It stands to reason that if one believes that witches exist, then one must equally agree that only a witch would know who is a witch.
The battle to protect the sovereign Gambian citizens from poverty and injustice will never be abandoned by PDOIS. We will fear no sacrifice and will surmount every difficulty to ensure that the people live in liberty, dignity and prosperity.
The end
Source: http://www.foroyaa.gm/archives/8849 |
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