Rwanda women's dress row tests its puritanical powers

A row over women's dress in Rwanda has become a flashpoint for young people chafing under the country's heavy-handed policing.

The tiny nation in the Great Lakes region of east Africa presents itself as a foreigner-friendly tourism and investment destination.

But its puritanical streak has come to the fore as police have cracked down in recent weeks on supposedly "indecent behaviour".

A video went viral last week for showing a young woman being manhandled into a police wagon in the town of Rubavu for wearing a dress that showed her legs.

It followed anger among concertgoers in the capital, Kigali, after many were refused entry on style grounds to a show by Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz on August 29 at the BK Arena stadium.

"I was wearing a short blazer dress, nothing really scandalous, but I was turned away. I was mad. It was very demeaning," said one rejected attendee, Grace Uwinkamiye, 24.

"My friends didn't take it well at all. One of them has gone to a neighbouring country to stay there for a while," she added.

The incidents sparked outrage on social media.

"A woman's body is not an invitation for control. No woman should be told what she is 'allowed' to wear, and no one deserves violence, humiliation or fear because of her clothing," posted well-known model Pamella Uwicyeza.

Police were forced to apologise for the incident in Rubavu, saying the officers involved had been arrested and the young woman released.

But it was no accident. A police campaign was announced in early August against "indecent behaviour".

There have been reports of raids on house parties, and there are strict new closing times for bars and clubs.

The government appears worried about partying, and "sexualised" fashion choices for women.

"When we do not produce enough of our own cultural references, other people's definitions of beauty, desirability and modernity can very easily become our own," warned Sandrine Umutoni, minister of state for youth and arts, on social media.

'Hard to read'

Rwandans have a reputation for quietly accepting authoritarian governance as the price of stability and growth, but the new rules have touched a nerve.

"For the first time, I felt like fighting for my rights," said Uwinkamiye, the concertgoer.

"The conversation is not only about miniskirts," said lawyer and political analyst Louis Gitinywa. "It's about how people are governed. People are frustrated that decisions are taken without them being included."

Others seem willing to compromise.

Outside a concert for Nigerian star, Rema, this weekend, young people wore noticeably modest outfits. BK Arena had warned them in advance that "intimate areas must remain adequately covered".

Asked if she would normally wear her trousers and blouse combo, one concertgoer told AFP: "Are you kidding me?

"This is the first time I'm dressing like this for a show. I didn't want to miss Rema's show for anything (but) I couldn't risk being treated with their usual indignities."

For expats, it has been a confusing insight into Rwanda's prudish side.

"Rwanda is hard to read!" said one foreign student at the concert.

"It's not a religious state -- it closes churches. But when you think it is a secular state, it arrests women putting on mini-skirts and closes bars and clubs early."

Rwanda's long-time ruler, President Paul Kagame, has expressed deep disdain for churches, saying many steal money and do nothing to develop the country. Thousands have been closed.

But the former military commander also demands decorum from his people.

"It's like authorities are irked when people have a stretch of fun and happiness," said the foreign student.