My Dress My Choice
The past week has seen at least 3 women get stripped naked in public. By male members of the public. I refrain from calling them men because that would be an insult to real men.
Someone shred with me the first video and there is no one word to describe the emotions that were going through me. Yes I was angry and shocked and very disturbed by what I saw. The one thing that stays with me up to day is the expression on that woman's face. Granted, the video was blurry and lots of commotion going on but despite the lack of clarity, it was impossible not to notice that woman's anguish. She looked scared and helpless and she was trying as much as possible to cover herself up with whatever clothing she could lay her hands on. In that moment I put myself in her shoes and the feelings were overwhelming.
The other two videos I could not bring myself to watch especially after reading the comments people made. It was enough to make me not open them.
The whole weekend I kept racking my brain as to why anyone would do that? Why would another human being want to prey on another human being? Regardless of the gender. As these incidences only seem to affect women, why would a man want to strip a woman, a stranger to him, in public? These individuals claim the women were indecently dressed. So what? Who put the law into your hands? Who made yo the judge and executioner? Who says your personal opinion is the SI Unit of what moral dressing is? The more I thought about it, the more I realized its is not about seeing you naked. Any person over 18 has probably seen another adult naked so its not just physical. It is about taking away the one element of your person that will take a lot of work to restore. It is about taking away your sense of self worth. It is about making you feel insignificant. About 'putting you in your place'. Why else would this strange male want to see you naked?
As a woman it really irks me to see such a basic right violated. As women, the way we dress, what color we paint our nails, the choice to put on make up or not and style our hair as a way of self expression. What I choose to put on is easily a reflection of my mood or my activities for that day. I could wear a red dress to kick up my energy levels, jeans and sneakers if I have a day full of errands, a little black dress that always makes me feel sexy. Why should my freedom of expression be determined by a stranger? Why should that decision be made for me? If you feel that I am dressed inappropriately, call the police and have them arrest me for indecency.
Just like an artist who pours his emotions on canvas, so can I express myself through my fashion sense. Artists who get criticized for their work, do the critics take a knife to his canvas and destroy it? Hell no! So why strip me of my clothing?
Walking around the streets of Nairobi, I see a lot of the male gender in what I consider inappropriate dressing and lack of personal hygiene. When you sag your skinny jeans your entire bottom is out of your trousers. When you put on an ill fitting shirt, your buttons are straining under the pressure. When you wear the same pair of socks for a week without washing then, you take off your shoes and its like a nuclear bomb exploded. When you wear a striped shirt and a black and yellow polk dot tie and brown sneakers. Do women strip you in public?
Today's protest march is one step towards bringing a stop to this madness. It is my hope that the country leaders will take notice of this issue and bring to justice the perpetrators. For the women who suffered at the hands of these people, come out and report this crime. It may not be the easiest thing to do but it will be the first step in making sure it does not happen again.
#MyDressMyChoice
