Men Disguised as Women Face One-Year Jail

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal to jail men for up to a year for dressing as women or entering women-only places is being studied by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee.

Hassan Bukhamas, the committee chairman, said at a press conference that the panel was looking at adding Article 351 bis to the Penal Code, issued by Decree-Law No. 15 of 1976.

The draft article would punish ‘any male who disguises himself in women’s clothing, enters a place reserved for women, or enters a place barred to non-women’ with up to one year in prison, a fine of up to BD1,000, or either penalty.

The text also states that, where another crime is carried out in those circumstances, the disguise or entry would count as an aggravating factor.

The explanatory note says some men dress as women to mix with them and view matters they have no right to see. It also says modern means of communication have made it easier for such acts to be used in breaches of privacy and attempts at blackmail.

The note argues that such behaviour can harm families and society by using disguise as a means to breach privacy and the sanctity of women’s gatherings, which it links to social values and long-held customs.

The proposal is framed as a deterrent, with sterner treatment where disguise is used to carry out another offence. Its drafters say the change is aimed at protecting women and the privacy granted to them under the Constitution.

The note also points to the UAE’s Crimes and Penalties Law, issued by Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2022, saying Article 412 deals with similar acts, including dressing as a woman, spying, or entering women-only places by stealth.

It adds that the draft takes account of the principle of individual punishment by giving judges room to weigh the facts of each case and choose the fitting penalty within the limits of the law.