– Akhilesh Tripathi
The Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women has issued an advisory on women’s safety, suggesting that women should only get their clothing measurements taken by female tailors. The Commission has also recommended that the state government introduce a law for this purpose. The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has criticised this advisory, calling it a “Taliban-like decree.”
The Commission recently held a meeting where a proposal was put forward concerning women’s safety, suggesting that male tailors should no longer be allowed to take measurements for women’s clothing. Instead, women should get their clothes tailored only by female tailors. The Commission has recommended that the UP government introduce a law to implement this change. The proposal stems from incidents of harassment during clothing measurements at tailoring shops. To ensure women’s safety, the proposal includes making it mandatory for tailoring shops to employ female tailors to take measurements for women. Additionally, it requires tailoring shops and women’s boutique centres to install CCTV cameras for added security.
The Commission has mandated the presence of female trainers at gym and yoga centres, specifying that only female trainers should provide training to women. It has also instructed these centres to install CCTV cameras with DVR systems for security purposes.
The advisory also requires clothing stores to employ female staff. For coaching centres, the Commission has made it mandatory to have CCTV cameras installed. In school buses, the presence of a female security guard or female teacher is now compulsory; buses cannot operate without them. Furthermore, the Commission has directed stores selling women’s clothing and products to hire female employees as well.
Typically, tailoring is a profession largely associated with the Muslim community. It is being alleged that the Commission has issued this advisory at the behest of the BJP government in a calculated move to marginalise the Muslim community and threaten their livelihood. But, nowadays tailoring is a trade practised by various castes, and many women have also taken up tailoring on a largescale. These tailors work solely to earn a living; they only manage to sustain their families. This directive from the Commission will also affect other castes involved in tailoring.
The advisory is seen as an attempt to impose restrictions on women forcibly. It raises concerns about privacy and autonomy, as many questions the authority of the Commission in deciding from whom women can or cannot get their dress tailored. Women usually choose tailors based on their preferences, and many already take their measurements themselves before visiting a tailor. They also use female tailors, so this is nothing new.
The primary role of the Commission should be to ensure the safety of women, address their issues, and prevent harassment. However, it is accused of failing in this regard. Daily, incidents involving women continue to occur in Uttar Pradesh, and many women struggle to get justice. The Commission remains silent and inactive in such cases. There is rarely any news of the Commission intervening to stop harassment against women.
For instance, in August, a woman from Unnao district approached the Chief Minister’s public meeting seeking justice. When she didn’t receive any help, she set herself on fire in front of CM Yogi Adityanath’s residence, tragically losing her life, leaving her infant child orphaned. What did the Commission do in this case? Can they bring the deceased woman back to life or reunite the orphaned child with his mother? These are questions for which the Commission has no answers.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Babita Chauhan, is accused of trying to appease CM Adityanath in hopes of securing a higher position, thus promoting such directives.
AIDWA has strongly objected to the directive issued by the Commission and has condemned it. AIDWA Secretary Madhu Garg criticised the advisory, calling it an attack on women’s freedom in the name of safety. Garg remarked, “The advisory from the Women’s Commission reflects a regressive mindset. There are many renowned male gynecologists in the country, so according to this logic, should women only consult female doctors? The commission’s directive is essentially an attack on women’s freedom and resembles a Taliban-like decree. This is wrong and cannot be accepted in modern society.”
Another AIDWA leader, Suman Singh, stated, “The right to make decisions about one’s own life is a matter of personal freedom for any woman. The advisory from the Women’s Commission is a direct attack on this freedom.”
Women’s rights advocate Vandana Rai added, “Many women fall victim to fraudulent so-called spiritual gurus and tantrics. If the Women’s Commission is genuinely concerned about the safety of women, it should first demand strict legal action against these fraudulent individuals. But why is the commission silent on this issue?”
