Uganda’s Ministry for Public Service has told public servants to dress “decently”, and has warned women not to show their cleavage.
In a circular, it says women are not allowed to wear dresses or skirts that are above the knees, sleeveless blouses or any clothing made out of see-through material.
The privately owned Observer newspaper has tweeted the order:
Dress code 4 non-uniformed officers in Public Service:
No dresses above knees
No showing cleavage
No bright hair
Only black or brown shoes
Women’s pant-suits are allowed, but female public servants will not wear any tight-fitting clothing.
Flat, open shoes are also ruled out, except in cases where one can prove that it is for medical reasons.
The circular further states that accessories should be modest, and women should not have bright hair colour, braids or extensions.
Men are required to wear neat, long-sleeved shirts, jackets and ties, trousers that are not tight, keep their hair short and neat, and also not wear brightly-coloured clothes.
The circular is derived from Public Service Standing Orders on dress-code, put in place in 2010. However, the dress-code does not seem to have been paid much attention to up to now.