MDP says new civil service dress rules discriminate against women

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has criticised recent amendments to the Civil Service Rules, stating that dress length and hair colour are not measures of work quality and that the changes amount to discrimination against women.

The Civil Service Rules were amended last week to include traditional Maldivian dress and long dresses as part of the official dress code for female government employees, alongside new requirements on dress length and appearance.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the MDP women’s wing said the amendments restrict the personal freedom of women working in the civil service. The statement said professionalism should be assessed based on an employee’s ability, work output and quality of service, and not on appearance.

“Dress length and hair colour of female employees are not criteria for measuring performance. Applying such standards is discrimination against women in the name of professionalism,” the statement said.

The MDP said the amendments undermine constitutional guarantees of equality, non-discrimination and personal freedom. It added that responsibility for upholding social morality should not be placed on women alone and that linking such standards solely to women’s dress is inappropriate.

The statement further said the rules risk shifting attention away from institutional management and public service delivery, while creating inequality in the workplace. It also warned that the rules could be used to deny promotions or impose disciplinary action based on appearance, which it said could marginalise women within the civil service.

The party also questioned why similar standards are not applied to political office holders, independent institutions or state-owned companies, arguing that the selective application shows the policy is discriminatory rather than ethical in nature.

The MDP called on the Civil Service Commission to repeal the amended rules and urged state institutions to ensure that policies do not violate the rights or dignity of women.

Former President and former Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed also criticised the amendments. In a post on X, Nasheed said the state should not interfere in personal matters of women under the pretext of regulating appearance.

Under the amended rules, female civil service employees are required to wear Maldivian dress, long dresses or office dresses. The rules state that dresses must not be shorter than ankle length and must be suitable for an office environment. Necklines must be covered in line with social norms, and sleeve length is specified for sleeveless and long-sleeved dresses. Decorative jewellery and makeup are permitted, while hair colouring is restricted except for darkening.