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UK News

Churches warned dress code pressures "pulling women to pieces"

Natalie Collins spoke with Premier after a new parliamentary report concluded sexist dress codes "remain widespread" at workplaces across the country, with women being asked to dye their hair, and wear high heels and revealing clothes.

The gender justice specialist told the News Hour pressure on women at church is different but still significant, explaining: "There's a huge amount of policing of what women wear [and] how women behave.

"It'll actually be about being more modest, and an expectation that women will cover up, that women will dress in ways that stereotypically won't cause men to stumble."

Natalie referred to Matthew 5:29, which says "If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you", to argue individuals should not blame their lusting on someone else.

She said: "There's a lot of pressure within the church on women, not only to look in a way that kind of is perceived as being godly but also to be responsible for men's sexual urges or lusts, and that's not acceptable either.

"Jesus didn't say, 'If something you're looking at causes you to sin, ask it to look different'. Jesus said, 'If that causes you to sin, take your eye out'.

"It's all about us as individuals taking responsibility for our choices, not putting it on someone else."

A parliamentary study by the Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Committee has urged the government to review existing laws concerning dress codes, and to change them - if necessary - to make them more effective.

The report was prompted by the dismissal of 27 year old receptionist Nicola Thorp from PricewaterhouseCoopers because she was not wearing high heels.

Helen Jones, who chairs the Petitions Committee, said: "The Government has said that the way that Nicola Thorp was treated by her employer is against the law but that didn't stop her being sent home from work without pay.

"The Government must now accept that it has a responsibility to ensure that the law works in practice as well as in theory."

Ms Thorp said: "The current system favours the employer and is failing employees. It is crucial that the law is amended so that gender neutral dress codes become the norm."

Click here to listen to Natalie Collins speaking with Premier's Alex Williams:

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