Women face 6-month jail term if they wear miniskirts or low-rise jeans

Women in Swaziland risk arrest if they wear miniskirts or tops which expose part of their stomach as they will be violating moral standards, a police spokesperson has said.

Offenders face a six-month jail term under the ban, which invokes a colonial criminal act dating back to 1889."The act of a rapist is made easy, because it would be easy to remove the half-cloth worn by the women," Wendy Hleta was quoted as saying.

The ban also applies to low-rise jeans.

"They will be arrested," she said.

Hleta said women wearing revealing clothing were responsible for assaults or rapes committed against them.

"I have read from the social networks that men and even other women have a tendency of 'undressing people with their eyes'. That becomes easier when the clothes are hugging or are more revealing," Hleta said.