The Grand Théâtre of Dakar, Senegal, swiftly reversed a controversial ban on wigs, weaves, and skin-lightening products just 24 hours after announcing it. The directive issued under the pretext of promoting Pan-African values was met with strong backlash from women’s rights activists, artists, and the public, who criticized it as sexist and controlling. Although theatre director Serigne Fall Guèye defended the policy as cultural preservation, critics argued it policed Black women’s appearances under the guise of tradition. Following widespread online protest and intervention by oversight authorities, the ban was rescinded, highlighting the growing resistance to institutional attempts to regulate women’s bodies.