News Commentary

NEWS COMMENTARY LOOKS AT KENYA’S STRIPPING OF WOMEN IN MINISKIRTS, THE ‘MY DRESS, MY CHOICE’ CAMPAIGN AND THE LESSONS THE GHANAIAN WOMAN COULD LEARN FROM IT.

BY SOLOMON MENSAH, A FREELANCE JOURNALIST.

Her attackers stopped her, harassed her, and tossed her around like the dice on the slippery surface of a ludu as they ably yelled in Swahili “Toa” which translates into the English language as ‘take it off.’ Indeed, the miniskirt-attackers took off an unknown Nairobi woman’s miniskirt giving room for the hungry eyes of the sea of people around to feast upon her nakedness.

This is, but, a description of the YouTube video which went viral on social media few days ago. The video which could be termed as a gruesome display of lawlessness by some Kenyan men who, in the said video, reduced the Nairobi woman's dignity into rags. The woman’s crime was simple and straightforward; she had worn a skirt which her attackers described as only a little bigger than a handkerchief; a dress code the group of therowdy young men disapproved; calling it provocative to onlookers.

The 1 minute 27 second- long video again showed the woman being beaten and paraded heartlessly along the streets. This shameful act by these rowdy folks must be condemned by any discerning mind irrespective of being a citizen of Kenya or not. It is, therefore, not surprising that most Kenyans shortly after seeing the video took to Twitter with the hashtag “My dress, my choice” to send a message to the attackers that women, like men, must be respected in the society.

Women have suffered all forms of abuses from some unscrupulous men in our societiesfor far too long. More often than not, men are left off the hook to go about their activities without being apprehended in any way. Are the attackers saying they have not sighted some men who pull their trousers below their waist to expose their filthy boxer shorts; a dress code referred to in Ghana as Otto Pfister? Has any of the Otto-Pfister-men been stripped naked in public before? So why must it be done to women?

On the 16th of November, 2014, majority of women in Kenya supported by well-reasoning men hit the streets to protest against this act of stripping skirts. They as well adopted the slogan ‘my dress, my choice’ chanting women must be allowed to wear what theywant. Sadly, before the protestors could take respite from their long walk for freedom, another Nairobi woman was, again, stripped of her skirt and the other cloth on her totally removed by another crazy bunch of lawless men. From this YouTube video, too, the second woman suffered much more brutality from these men.

This stripping of miniskirts in Kenya did not start today. Somewhere in February, 2013, another Nairobi woman was equally deprived of her skirt in public. It took the intervention of a local politician Daniel Kachori who whisked her away into a room. Mr. Kachori later described the attack as shameful. But... a year and over after the incident, this shameful act still goes on.

The director of Kenya’s public prosecution has ordered the Criminal Investigation Department to probe the incident. But before the law takes its cause on the attackers, we must not forget to ask ourselves some questions. Can any member of the society determine what one can and cannot wear? Who, as a member of the society, is given the right as the moral police to arrest and strip women of their miniskirts because such dress is seen as indecent? Is it not true that the attackers’ victims could be your mother, sister, wife, or even girlfriend?

If this abominable practice is allowed to gain roots, then the law as the guiding principleof the society becomes useless.

This happened elsewhere. Far away in Kenya. That notwithstanding, the Ghanaian woman must learn her lessons from it. Apparently, you may freely walk about in town in your skimpy dress regardless of the law prohibiting indecent dressing. However, one does not know when such a bunch of these lawless men will spring up here to pounce on you when you least expected and strip you of your dignity.

For the attackers, they must for now realize that enough is enough. Our elders say, thatwhen a handshake goes beyond the elbow, it ceases to be a friendly gesture. Inasmuch as most people and for that matter the society abhors indecent dressing does not mean that women must be subjected to public humiliation for what they wear.

It is about time the Kenyan law enforcement agencies rose to the occasion to ensure that the rule of law worked without interferences.