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Imagine you’re sitting in the library and studying with your classmates. Now imagine a teacher coming up to you and fine you for what you are wearing. Well, this is a reality of most of the institutions that girls have to deal with.
Like many other universities, FAST-NU has issued a dress code and according to the notification, girls aren’t allowed to wear tights, sleeveless or short length shirts. Moreover, they are not expected to put on heavy makeup or jewelry, in the name, to avoid being too provocative or indecent. Any violation of these rules penalizes girls to fine, suspension or both.
Again, imagine wearing clothes that are not comfortable to you and you are compelled to cover yourself up from head to toe because your outfit
is a risk and distracting to the boys in your class. How is that fair? Why are boys allowed to wear shorts to play football or other
sports in the university’s premises but girls to wear dupatta no matter what? Why aren’t boys told to “pull their pants up” while girls are sent
directly to the office?
THESE DRESS CODES UNKNOWINGLY SETS UP DOUBLE STANDARDS.
Thus, indirectly, our institution is dictating that women must fear their surroundings because of the way they are dressed and sending the message to boys that it’s all girls’ fault. So here’s a rundown of things girls want the rules maker to understand:
It’s nobody’s goddamn business to what we wear, we don’t dress up for boys but for ourselves! We should be allowed to wear whatever we deem fit and necessary. There’s a huge difference between sweet and slinky and we know it! The dress code is not a problem, it never is. It’s actually the gender bias against us girls. Can the world, even our university, stop shaming us for wearing comfortable clothes? Is it really more important than our education? We are more than just distractions!
So instead of punishing girls for what they wear, teach boys how to respect them.
