Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ASHGABAT202
2010-02-11 13:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: NEW WOMEN'S COATS INTENDED TO
how-toVZCZCXRO1431 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHAH #0202 0421341 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 111341Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4237 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6248 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3923 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3782 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4492 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1481 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4395 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000202
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SCUL SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NEW WOMEN'S COATS INTENDED TO
IMPROVE MORALS
REF: 09 ASHGABAT 1680
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000202
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SCUL SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NEW WOMEN'S COATS INTENDED TO
IMPROVE MORALS
REF: 09 ASHGABAT 1680
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) In January, the Turkmen Government introduced
a new unwritten dress code for female government
officials, secondary school students and university
students, to be worn at official government events.
Although it has not been published anywhere, people
have been told that the dress code requires women and
girls to wear a loose fitting coat, with embroidery on
the hemline, long sleeves and a high collar, over the
traditional Turkmen ankle-length dress with modest
neckline. (COMMENT: We have seen Turkmen female high-level
government officials wearing these coats. END COMMENT.)
(NOTE: Despite the intended modesty of
traditional dresses, some styles with a body-tight fit
and slits up the sides clearly circumvent that intent.
END NOTE.) The newly-mandated coats should be black
for government officials and red for students. While
the coats must be worn year-round, women are allowed
to have winter versions and summer versions, made of
heavier or lighter material. A student at the
Institute of Economy and Management told EMBASSY
economic assistant that she paid a dressmaker $100 to
make the required coat. (NOTE: The average monthly
salary in Turkmenistan is $200. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) According to a secondary school teacher, the
government decided to introduce the new dress code to
stop Turkmen women from wearing provocative western-
style outfits, which supposedly cause a decline in
morality among the younger generation of the country.
The teacher said that students in her class were
passing via cell phone a vdeo clip of a Turkmen
female performing a strip dance. Reportedly, there
were also incidents of secondary school students being
caught sharing locally made pornographic images via
cell phones. The teacher added that the government
had tried to forbid students bringing cell phones to
class, but that effort failed.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: This is not the first time that the
government has put restrictions on women to correct
problems that it sees in society. In the past, the
government introduced a foreign travel ban for women
under the age of 30 and encouraged female government
officials not to drive (reftel). Although the
government cannot enforce these restrictions for
private citizens, it can pressure government employees
and students to follow even unwritten rules. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SCUL SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NEW WOMEN'S COATS INTENDED TO
IMPROVE MORALS
REF: 09 ASHGABAT 1680
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) In January, the Turkmen Government introduced
a new unwritten dress code for female government
officials, secondary school students and university
students, to be worn at official government events.
Although it has not been published anywhere, people
have been told that the dress code requires women and
girls to wear a loose fitting coat, with embroidery on
the hemline, long sleeves and a high collar, over the
traditional Turkmen ankle-length dress with modest
neckline. (COMMENT: We have seen Turkmen female high-level
government officials wearing these coats. END COMMENT.)
(NOTE: Despite the intended modesty of
traditional dresses, some styles with a body-tight fit
and slits up the sides clearly circumvent that intent.
END NOTE.) The newly-mandated coats should be black
for government officials and red for students. While
the coats must be worn year-round, women are allowed
to have winter versions and summer versions, made of
heavier or lighter material. A student at the
Institute of Economy and Management told EMBASSY
economic assistant that she paid a dressmaker $100 to
make the required coat. (NOTE: The average monthly
salary in Turkmenistan is $200. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) According to a secondary school teacher, the
government decided to introduce the new dress code to
stop Turkmen women from wearing provocative western-
style outfits, which supposedly cause a decline in
morality among the younger generation of the country.
The teacher said that students in her class were
passing via cell phone a vdeo clip of a Turkmen
female performing a strip dance. Reportedly, there
were also incidents of secondary school students being
caught sharing locally made pornographic images via
cell phones. The teacher added that the government
had tried to forbid students bringing cell phones to
class, but that effort failed.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: This is not the first time that the
government has put restrictions on women to correct
problems that it sees in society. In the past, the
government introduced a foreign travel ban for women
under the age of 30 and encouraged female government
officials not to drive (reftel). Although the
government cannot enforce these restrictions for
private citizens, it can pressure government employees
and students to follow even unwritten rules. END
COMMENT.
CURRAN