DUSHANBE, May 25, 2016, Asia-Plus – Ms. Idigul Qosimzoda, Head of the Committee for Family and Women’s Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan calls on local women to wear Tajik national dress.

In a statement released at a meeting, Ms. Qosimzoda yesterday called on local women to refrain from wearing dress alien to Tajik culture and propagate Tajik national dress, according to the Committee press service.

The meeting participants reportedly included representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Interior Ministry, the State Committee for National Security, as well as heads of Dushanbe’s bazaars and trade centers and deputy mayors of Tursunzoda and Roudaki.

Ms. Qosimzoda called on the meeting participants to tighten control over wearing of national Tajik dress by their female employees and prevent propagation of dress alien to Tajik culture, the Committee press service said.

We will recall that the education ministry in 2006 enforced a ban on the Islamic hijab, or head scarf, at schools and universities.  In 2007, the education ministry forced all female students to wear a white blouse and black skirt -- or an "atlas," a specific type of Tajik national dress.  All male students were forced to wear a white shirt and dark pants.  On the same year, the ministry distributed guidelines for a new dress code.