AFRO-NETS> Ban on mini-skirts in schools (final)

[Hellen Myezwa <gtzhsr@ecoweb.co.zw>]

Ban on mini-skirts in schools (final)
-------------------------------------

Dear AFRO-Netters,

Thank you for your lively discussion on this topic. I suggest we
bring the discussion to a close. Below I have put the last three mes-
sages. In summary it would appear some felt:

- This is a clear violation of human rights and should not proceed
  under the guise of mitigating HIV/AIDS impact.
- Some felt this is a gender issue and is situation where the onus is
  unfairly biased against women.
- Others have expressed the need to look at the issue within the cul-
  tural context and allow the local response to be implemented studied
  and we learn from it. There is obviously a lack of evidence that
  ban on miniskirts in schools has a preventive effect regarding
  HIV/AIDS.

 From the moderator,

Hellen Myezwa
mailto:gtzhsr@ecoweb.co.zw


Last three messages:

1. From Mladen Poluta <poluta@cormack.uct.ac.za>

Dear Heema,

You are right, of course, but this is only half the picture (indeed
some would say less than half). The onus is again put on women - in
this case teenage girls - and their education. What about teenage
boys (and older men)? Especially relevant in societies where men
traditionally are "custodians" of power and authority.

Mladen Poluta
mailto:poluta@cormack.uct.ac.za

--
2. From Heema Shukla <H.Shukla@westminster.ac.uk>

Mladen,

I agree, of course teenage males should also be educated so
that they grow into responsible adult men the society can be
proud of. The point I was making is banning of mini-skirts may
be done for cultural reasons in some communities but we should
not use the HIV/AIDs epidemic as an excuse for banning mini-
skirts. The factors that determine sexual behaviour within any
culture are complex (and I am no expert on that) that are fur-
ther confounded by the social support within any community.
e.g. in India teenage girls who have been forced to prostitu-
tion are at the greatest risk of getting HIV/AIDS compared to
teenage girls in mini-skirts living within a safe environment
at home and school. These girls may never have had the choice
of wearing a mid-length skirt (forget a min-skirt) or have
been to school. If we were really serious about HIV/AIDS there
would have been a crackdown on teenage prostitution in the
mega-cities of the developing world.

Heema Shukla
mailto:H.Shukla@westminster.ac.uk

--
3. Chet N. Chaulagai <chaulagai@malawi.net>

People are trying different approaches to combat their prob-
lems. What is the harm if one tries to see the effects of a new
approach? The lessons that will be earned from such effort
help others to devise different interventions based on effec-
tiveness and local context. Instead of discouraging such ef-
forts it is better if others try some other approaches.

Chet
Lilongwe 3, Malawi
mailto:chaulagai@malawi.net


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