Chechen authorities to hand out headscarves to women on their holiday

Men wearing traditional Chechen outfits will hand out flowers and headscarves to women to congratulate them on the Chechen Woman's Day, the holiday's organizing committee said."This campaign will be held in all major cities and towns of the republic. In addition, we have also prepared a surprise for women who will have to work outside during their holiday," an organizing committee spokesman said.The Chechen Woman's Day, introduced by the republic's leader Ramzan Kadyrov three years ago, honors a group Chechen women who drowned rather than succumb to Russian soldiers in 1819. It is marked on third Sunday of September.The spokesman said Kadyrov instructed him to conduct a survey among women to find out what kind of celebrations they would like.Last year, several days after the republic celebrated the holiday, some Russian and international media sources reported that women's rights are being infringed in the republic, with women being forced to observe the Islamic dress code. The government and law-enforcers strongly denied the accusations.