Kuwait launches all-women moral police squads

Manama: Kuwait is launching an all-women moral police whose tasks include a fight on genderqueers, transsexuals and transvestites, a Kuwaiti daily said.

"The special police force will patrol shopping centres and marina clubs throughout Kuwait and will chase women imitating men and men imitating women [transvestites]," Alam Al Yawm reported.

The policewomen, in their fight against "negative phenomena" will also focus on "flirtatious young men and women, beggars and rowdy people."

According to the interior ministry, the aim is to help uphold local values and protect people from immoral practices.

Open mingling of the sexes is not allowed in Kuwait or in other Gulf countries. However, shopping malls are often used to meet members of the opposite sex.

In place of traditional methods for contacts such as dropping a piece of paper with a mobile phone number, people have now started to use latest technology including Bluetooth to arrange contacts with others.