Tajikistan is a country in Central Asia with a Muslim majority population, plans to release a new book this July that will update the country’s dress guidelines for women. This book aims to increase the government’s control over how women dress which focus on promoting traditional clothing and restricting foreign cultural influences. 

The government has long been controlling what women and girls wear as part of its efforts to preserve national culture and protect the country from what it sees as radical Islamic ideas.

New Guidelines for Women’s Clothing

The new book will offer updated "recommendations on national dress for girls and women." It will explain what women should wear depending on their age and the event, such as whether they are at home, attending a performance or at a formal gathering. The guidelines will promote traditional Tajik clothing, like colorful and embroidered long-sleeve tunic dresses worn with loose pants.

The head of the Ministry of Culture’s cultural department Khurshed Nizomi said that these clothes are part of Tajikistan's national heritage and have kept their elegance and beauty for centuries.

Although the government presents these guidelines as a way to preserve national traditions, some argue that it limits personal freedom and enforces a strict cultural identity. The government has been critical of what it considers “foreign” influences especially Islamic clothing which it believes doesn’t fit with the country’s secular values.

Fighting Islamic Cultural Influence

The government has focused on reducing the influence of radical Islamic culture in Tajikistan. One of its main actions has been banning the Islamic hijab in public places. President Emomali Rahmon who has been in power since 1992 and it has publicly said that the hijab is a “problem for society” and has encouraged women to dress in what he calls the “Tajik way.”

In addition to controlling women’s clothing the government has also banned men from wearing long beards, which they link to religious extremism. The government argues that these actions are necessary to stop the spread of radical ideas. This crackdown became more intense after several Tajik citizens were involved in the 2022 massacre at a concert hall near Moscow.

Many Tajik citizens had joined ISIS during the height of the group’s power in 2015, which pushed the government to take even stricter measures to prevent the rise of radicalism.

A Stronger Focus on National Identity

The new book on women’s clothing will be of higher quality compared to previous versions, with better printing, more photos, and richer historical sources. The book will be free at first, and the government hopes it will help women learn more about their national traditions and dress appropriately.

Tajikistan’s government continues to enforce a strict secular policy, controlling many aspects of public life. This latest push to regulate women’s clothing is part of the government’s effort to protect national traditions and prevent foreign religious influences from changing the culture.