‘Dress up well’: Outrage as woman MP removed from Tanzanian Parliament for wearing ‘tight pants’

“Mr Speaker, an example there is my sister seated on my right with a yellow shirt. Look at the trousers she has worn, Mr Speaker!” Hussein Amar said in parliament on June 1, as per a BBC report. The speaker then ordered Sichwale to leave, telling her: “Go dress up well, and then join us back later”.

🔴 Tanzania’s Parliament left in shock….[Going by the pictures]

➡️Tanzanian MP Condester Michael Sichlwe kicked out for ‘wearing black tight-fitting trousers’ which is considered ‘non-parliamentary attire’.

📷 @Hakingowi pic.twitter.com/21DQ1fA1HN

— Louis Jadwong (@Jadwong) June 1, 2021

📌 KICKED OUT

🔴 Tanzanian MP Condester Michael Sichlwe caused a stir in parliament in Dodoma today ‘by wearing black tight-fitting trousers, and yellow top’.

Speaker of Parliament Job Ndugai threw her out for wearing ‘non-parliamentary attire’.

📷 @Hakingowi pic.twitter.com/n8vxabWLQV

— Louis Jadwong (@Jadwong) June 1, 2021

Though the legislator did not elaborate on what he found wrong with Sichwale’s attire, Amar went on to argue that Parliament was a reflection of the society, citing a portion of Parliament’s rules forbidding female legislators from wearing tight jeans.

In response to the move, a group of women MPs, led by Jacqueline Ngonyani and Stella Manyanya, insisted that the action was unfair and there was nothing wrong with Sichwale’s outfit. They have also demanded an apology.

Responding to the incident, while some on the internet pointed out that “it was important to adhere to the rules and regulations”, a large number of people called out the MP for “policing women’s bodies”. Take a look at some of the reactions here:

If that is a tight-fitting trousers, I definitely need to ask for refunds from all my alma maters.

— Chainga (@Chaingaz) June 2, 2021

Which century is the Tanzanian Parliament living in?

— PaYa🐦📷🐘🦍 (@piusmuhamya) June 1, 2021

This is ridiculous and absurd

— Penelope Ssempebwa 🇺🇬 (@PBSsempebwa) June 1, 2021

Nonsense.

Complete Nonsense.

It’s not tight. She’s fully dressed. And people need to stop policing women.

— Valerie. (@ValNgugi) June 1, 2021

If an institution has a dress code policy, you need to adhere to that.

— Barjaa Fortune (@BarjaaF) June 2, 2021

The speaker needs to be liberated. The male MP who raised it obviously lives in the Stone Age.

— Lucy Minayo (@LMinayo) June 1, 2021

There is nothing wrong in how she dressed these old heads need to retire

— Master Serge (@inyanya31) June 1, 2021

I am annoyed with this. Like, really? 😡😡
I hate it when women’s clothes, bodies and decisions are policed by men. And those pants ain’t tight!! Uugh. Such a mysogonistic power trip by the speaker.

— Tak 🇨🇦🇲🇼 (@Tak_Tkk) June 1, 2021

Rules are rules. Not among the parliamentary attires.

— Elie 🌟 mihigo (@eliemihigo80) June 2, 2021

I was using the Tanzanian parliamentary dress code and a photograph. Her outfit is like the one in the top left down to the color and coverage. Could you please help me understand? pic.twitter.com/SUSY9gEwhe

— EpicPaladinBeer (@PaladinEpic) June 2, 2021

Those ARE the trousers in the photos posted, which are not tight fitting. They are loosely fitted and I think she looks sophisticated and gorgeous in them with that yellow top.

— Tessa Moore 🇿🇦 (@tessamoore) June 3, 2021