dress code

Chess dress 'ban': Malaysian girl's outfit 'provocative'

The girl's coach said an official had called her over-the-knee dress "too seductive".

A Facebook post detailing the incident was shared widely, causing outrage.

The Malaysian Chess Federation told local media the accusation was under investigation.

The girl was participating in last month's National Scholastic Chess Championship in Putrajaya, just south of Kuala Lumpur.

Afterwards, her coach, Kaushal Khandhar, wrote a long public Facebook post saying an arbiter interrupted her game to tell her she was violating the competition's dress code.

Canada province makes high heels optional

The government of British Columbia (BC) says the requirement is discriminatory as well as being a health and safety issue because they are dangerous.

It says that high heel wearers face a risk of physical injury from slipping or falling as well as possible damage to the feet, legs and back.

Footwear should be designed to allow workers to operate safely, it says.

The announcement of the ban comes after a provincial Green party politician in March introduced a bill in the BC legislature aimed at preventing employers from setting gender-based footwear requirements.