Sudan abolishes a law to regulate women's uniforms

On Thursday, Sudan abolished the Public Order Act, which was used under former President Omar al-Bashir to regulate women's uniforms and public morals and punishes violators with flogging, Justice Minister Nasruddin Abdel Bari said.

The Public Order and Public Morals Act was enacted to impose conservative Islamic social etiquette, and opponents say it restricted women's freedom in terms of dress, movement, assembly, work and study.

The law has been widely criticized by local and international human rights groups, and calls for its abolition as it opens the door for some investigators or police officers to use their discretionary powers against "victims of the law."

The Women and Public Etiquette Ordinance was promulgated in 1996 and consists of 25 articles, which define the rules and regulations relating to public conduct in events, markets and others.