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Malawi Newspaper Bans Female Staff From Wearing Mini-Skirts
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BNL are publishers of the Malawi News, Daily Times, Weekend Times and Sunday Times newspaper titles.
According to the order by the company’s managing director Leonard Chikadya, all female employees are no longer allowed to wear miniskirts or tight trousers while on duty.
Chikadya told the female employees to “dress properly” like Mama Cecilia Kadzamira, the former official hostess to the country’s first president, the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
He said skirts must be of “reasonable” length and also told male workers to ensure they are dressed appropriately like Kamuzu Banda.
Banda, who owned the media giant used to dress in British attire, thus three-piece suit and a Wilson hat.
The directive has angered female workers at the company who say it violates the country’s constitution which allows freedom of dress to women and men.
The employees, especially journalists, in random interviews described the directive as draconian and making the environment not conducive to work.
“Mr Chikadya has run out of ideas. He takes us for granted. This is too much. He runs this company as a personal farm. We are tired of his style of administration. I wonder why the board approves of this stupid directive,” said one employee.
Journalists and other commentators have reacted angrily to the directive on social media and media forums.
Blogger and news analyst Jimmy Kainja wrote on his Facebook Timeline: “People, I hear female journalist BNL Times media group have been barred from wearing trousers? Why are the bosses bothering themselves with misogynies instead of product quality?”
A former employee and editor at the newspaper company, Idriss Ali Nasser wrote on journalists’ Internet discussion forum, Misa-Malawi: “BNL ban female employees from wearing trousers/miniskirts? For those who might be confused by this: NO, the order did NOT come from Hastings Kamuzu Banda!”
A journalist now working with UNICEF, Kusali Kubwalo wrote: “Interesting. A pair of slacks actually offers more cover than a skirt. Slacks are more conducive to a field environment than a skirt. We have taken one step forward and three backwards.”
Another journalist Yvonne Sundu of rival Nation Publication Limited wrote: “The way I love miniskirts and trousers. I can definitely need a wardrobe make over!”
The directive is expected to receive opposition and criticism from human rights activists.
Chikadya refused to be interviewed.
Posted by
MOSQUITO
March 20, 2013 at 5:48 pm
YAYAYA OK THAT THEY SHOULD DRESS LIKE KAUNDA FOR MEN AND WOMEN LIKE MAMA KANKASA NOT LIKE DORA I THINK SATA WILL FOLLOW UP THIS ONE
kapenta
March 21, 2013 at 12:22 am
abena malawi ubufutu!
jmn
March 21, 2013 at 9:14 am
workers to that news paper publisher must open their news station were they work naked not a government institition this world were are hearding proper dreesing becoming a problem nowander why men have liost limbido coz they work ,look and live with naked women every time apetite is lost fo sex
believer 7
March 21, 2013 at 10:49 am
GOOD MOVE VIVA CHIKADYA,COME TO ZAMBIA NOW,
GOD BLESS YOU!
enos_Mwale
March 21, 2013 at 11:04 am
Seen this one before on your site. Have you no news?
Umupandapwiti
March 21, 2013 at 11:15 am
oh oh, so balefwayafye ama half petticoat.
Prof-Ben
March 21, 2013 at 2:02 pm
What is really wrong with our women when it comes to dressing? They have resigned from proper skirts resumed to low-cuts,tight trouser, peddle pushers, min-skirts that can expose their nudity and many more weired atire. If ask them why dresse like this, all they say is its fashion.How long will the devil keep on using women? Dress modestry you will lose nothing, too much of nudity in homes, schools, work places, shopping malls and everywhere you go as long there women.The devil is seriously at work day and night deceiving and misleading people of little faith around the global without people realising. Its time for you women to stand up and fight the devil through prayer and it shall be well with you all. Keep up CHIKADYA, i know people will hate you for this because they enjoy seeing nakedness and exposing their nakedness to the world.
Big Daddy
March 25, 2013 at 4:40 pm
The modern world has human rights and country constitutions that support all the vices the church and rich tradition and culture of most normal countries are fighting. Human beings if left uncontrolled are going to extremes in everything even drinking and eating. That’s why we have governments that must step in to bring some semblance of normacy in a crazy world. Viva Chikadya.