Women teachers in Kerala needn’t wear a sari after winning minister’s backing

Principals and teachers in the Indian state have been at loggerheads over what constitutes acceptable work attire, with many school heads giving their teachers an ultimatum: the sari or the job

Saris were mandatory until 2013 and the tradition has been so rigidly enforced that many principals have stuck to the dress code despite its abolition

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Women teachers in Kerala are fighting back against expectations that they should wear saris to work. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:18pm, 16 Nov 2021Updated: 9:06am, 22 Nov 2021

It’s official: teachers in the Indian state of Kerala no longer have to wear a sari to work.

The state’s higher education minister, R. Bindu, has issued a notice to schools informing them that women teachers can wear whatever they feel comfortable in, whether it is jeans or leggings or more traditional Indian outfits.

The minister’s intervention comes amid mounting friction between principals and teachers in the state over what constitutes acceptable work attire.

Many principals in the state have been demanding women teachers continue to sport saris, the wearing of which had once been mandatory under a state-wide dress code.

While that dress code was abolished in 2013, many principals had continued to insist on adherence to it. Some went so far as to say it was either the sari or the job, much to the annoyance of teachers who complained the long strips of cloth could be cumbersome to wear and time-consuming to iron.

“I have nothing against the sari, I like wearing it, but there are days when I am short of time and it is a hassle to iron such a big garment and it takes time to tie it too,” said Nina Sivankutty, a teacher in Kochi.