The whole of last week saw social media a buzz with one issue,and that was women,their way of dressing and and the stripping saga. Every platform has been awash with all sorts of conversations all ranging from the very big subject-stripping. Since the allegedly stripping saga supposedly carried out by 'embasaava touts' people from walks of life have been condemning the act,terming it as barbaric act and a show of backwardness. It has been a week where men and women have aired their different opinions on the whole issue. The two parties have agreed and differed in equal measure on what is decency,what women should wear or should not and generally whose business is it when it comes to women and their way of dressing hence the birth of the infamous topic on twitter under the hast tag #mydressmychoice. Its was debate un usual where women expressed their frustrations and how they are treated.
Media personalities have come on board, renowned politicians,business people as well and different groups to curse the actions taken by men in the name of 'disciplining women for indecent dressing'.
It is an assault to strip a woman naked,its an offense under the laws of Kenya, but one question is, what happened that led to Kenyan men taking disciplinary actions on their own hands.? Do we have rules and regulations that can administer and regulate on the issue of dressing for both men and women alike? Or are men feeling like the judiciary is doing nothing in instilling some sense when it comes to dress code?
And what sort or argument do men have in this entire issue? According to different men who have had the privilege to air their opinions on the reasons as to why women are being stripped naked,some said that dressing scantly is sign of provocation for men sexually and hence the consequence. Others hinted that dressing scantly promotes and instills bad and evil morals in the society to the young generations.The opinions been varied from this group to the other. on the other hand,there is a group of men who are on the side of women and sighting with them that no man should strip a woman naked and nobody should try to dictate what a woman puts on their bodies.
Women have exactly the same sentiments and their strongest point is nobody all should dictate how they dress. What they put on their bodies is their business and thus should be nobodies bother.
But men continue to argue that, in as much as they are not trying to dictate what women must wear, they(women) might be stripped the more if they don't embrace 'decent dressing'. So what is this thing men are calling indecent and decent dressing? One might wonder, well am also wondering as well.
A group of men whom i spoke to had this to say, ' I just love a woman in a maxi dress, or at least a cloth that has
covered the body parts which shouldn't just be displayed in public, a
mini skirt is just the same as a dude sagging till you see the butt
crack when he bends so annoying. I don't support the act that the touts
do, but i don't support this #mydressMyChoice
hashtag.Decency is wanting and what some women wear in town is un
acceptable.Their is this trend of just wearing a dress top and
translucent tights, Jameni. I know freedom exists and what's decent to
me ain't on you but why keep adjusting a mini skirt and you know it is
mini?' by poeta dennis a renowned poet and spoken word artiste based in Nairobi.
Others said that you dress the way you want to be addressed, some said that its none of their business what a woman wears while others said if you dress in a handkerchief then you will be treated like one. So some are for dress well and nobody will bother you. Others are for what ladies put on is none of my business. While ladies on the other hand have dared men in many occasions asking them why don't they go to koinange street and strip those women(prostitutes) there naked?
So its the issue of mini skirts, too short dresses,transparent leggins,tumbo cuts or what? in a country like Uganda there is a law that was signed by president Yoweri Museni to curb and regulate dressing and miniskirts to be precise. So why shouldn't we have our own law in Kenya to do the same? According to one Nderitu Njoka, the chairman for Mandeleo ya Wanaume organization had this to say while on #Thetrend hosted by Larry madowo, ' We need to pass a law that will regulate the dress code in Kenya'. So is a law necessary to end this #mydressmychoice and dressing decently scuffle that has been in the news all week long the way to go? If it will solve the riddle, then i cant object myself. My opinion? Women dress decently, Men respect our women and what they choose to wear.
For those who ask about their children adopting bad morals, bring them up telling them what to put on what not to.Those ones you have control over them.
As i write this down there is group of women called the THE KILIMANI WOMEN GROUP who have planned for a #mydressmychoice demonstrations set for this morning from uhuru park. Am certain that its going to be a fierce battle as far as arriving at a common solution to this matter is concerned.
So women are on the streets a few minutes from now, protesting against assault by men,demanding respect for their dressing, demanding freedom, demanding protection and all other demands they might have come up with.
But the million dollar question that i have this morning is,are we(myself included) Kenyan men ready to embrace the 21st century dress code of our women? I mean accept it and live with it not minding the morals and sexual provocations? Accept and live with it and ignore the fact that our societal morals are on a degradation mode?
Those are just among the many questions that always arise when this issue of dressing comes up. And according to how things are as at now, we are just too far from the end, but as far as am concerned the end will finally justify the means.
Lets wait as the events unveil.
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