It's no secret that dress codes are pretty much a necessity for every school even they don't have a uniform. It's also not a secret that these dess codes and 'uniform policies' police women's bodies. It seems to be every other day that I read some article about a teenage girl sent home in disgrace becausue her shoulders were showing and that would 'distract the male students'.
Here's why that's problematic:
1) It enforces the idea that 'boys will be boys' and can't be held responsible for their actions if a girl is wearing revealing clothing and she is sexually assaulted. This promotes victim blaming.
2) It promotes the concept that what a girl wears is more important than how she uses her brain. This objectifies women.
3) It's humiliating - especially if you're a teenage girl. You're going though puberty - breasts are developing for one thing and a top you wore 2 months ago when you were still an A-cup now just accentuates your chest and some 'teachers' see that as inappropriate and vilify you for having a body that is going through female puberty and is a fact of life.
4) IT PROMOTES THE IDEA THAT A BOY'S EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A GIRL'S.
It is blatant sexism and everyone knows it. It's gender discrimantion in most cases, a typical male versus female debate in which the man almost always comes out on top because society is so deeply rooted within the patriarchy that we value a boy's education over a girl's.
My favourite reason though has to be when a teenage girl at a public high school in America got sent home after her t-shirt was 'distracting' to male teachers because it was deemed 'too revealing' and by that they mean 'it didn't cover every part of her bare skin'. Surely a teacher is professional enough not to be distracted by a teenage girl's body?
In retaliation to these incidents, a twitter hashtag #IAmMoreThanADistraction was trending and set tongues wagging - because girls are more than a distraction. We are human beings with developing bodies, a brain like any other person on the planet and a voice to speak out on any discrimination - gender or otherwise.
Tuesday 15 September 2015
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Pop Culture Tuesday - Stop Victim Blaming
In light of Chrissy Hynde's comments about rape victims and that f they "dress provocatively" or they're "drunk" then it's their fault if they are raped or sexually assaulted. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Blaming victims of sexual assault for their actions before the assault took place i.e. drinking alcohol is common practice. The victim is rarely believed in a court of law if they had been drinking because many defence lawyers will use that as an excuse - that the victim is most likely ashamed of having had sex while drunk and their testimonies are sometimes shaky as opposed to the perpetrator's.
Another incident where people love to blame the victim of sexual assault is when it comes down to what the victim was wearing - especially if the victim was, as Chrissy Hynde put it, "dressed provocatively" and an ide is passed and believed that the victim was 'asking for it' - that they were asking to be raped!
NO ONE IS ASKING TO BE RAPED OR SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
No one ever puts on a low cut top or short/short skirt thinking "I'm definitely asking to be raped today!" Do you know why? Because no one should ever have to think like that! Why do we insist on judging the victim's actions previously, instead of judging - and condemning - the rapist?! They are the one(s) who committed the crime and surely we should be asking ourselves "why did they rape?" instead of "well they were asking for it in those clothes". It's absurd! We would never say to a victim of a mugging "you shouldn't have had your wallet on you" - because we view mugging as a CRIME and blaming the victim is WRONG. So why do we do that with victims of sexual assault and rape? It causes severe emotional and psychological trauma as well as physical trauma to the victims so why don't we treat it seriously?
Chrissy Hynde's comments were just the latest in a society full of rape culture and victim blaming. It's time to stop.
Blaming victims of sexual assault for their actions before the assault took place i.e. drinking alcohol is common practice. The victim is rarely believed in a court of law if they had been drinking because many defence lawyers will use that as an excuse - that the victim is most likely ashamed of having had sex while drunk and their testimonies are sometimes shaky as opposed to the perpetrator's.
Another incident where people love to blame the victim of sexual assault is when it comes down to what the victim was wearing - especially if the victim was, as Chrissy Hynde put it, "dressed provocatively" and an ide is passed and believed that the victim was 'asking for it' - that they were asking to be raped!
NO ONE IS ASKING TO BE RAPED OR SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
No one ever puts on a low cut top or short/short skirt thinking "I'm definitely asking to be raped today!" Do you know why? Because no one should ever have to think like that! Why do we insist on judging the victim's actions previously, instead of judging - and condemning - the rapist?! They are the one(s) who committed the crime and surely we should be asking ourselves "why did they rape?" instead of "well they were asking for it in those clothes". It's absurd! We would never say to a victim of a mugging "you shouldn't have had your wallet on you" - because we view mugging as a CRIME and blaming the victim is WRONG. So why do we do that with victims of sexual assault and rape? It causes severe emotional and psychological trauma as well as physical trauma to the victims so why don't we treat it seriously?
Chrissy Hynde's comments were just the latest in a society full of rape culture and victim blaming. It's time to stop.
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