By Ramisa Ahmed
Every girl has that certain feeling of excitement when we’re about to present a new outfit to the world. We style our hair all nice, spray a little perfume here and there, and maybe even pluck our mustache.
It’s all fine and dandy once we get to school, only to find out that the holes in our jeans are a millimeter too high, or our irresistible shimmering shoulders are blinding anyone within a mile radius, or maybe our leggings are the sole reason that boy sitting behind us in math class isn’t passing.
But why is the reasoning behind these rules labeled as “distracting”? Why are girls accountable for distraction because other people can’t control themselves? Why isn’t that boy being dress coded for that insulting t-shirt? All burning questions in the minds of the female population of ITHSA.
Telling young women that they are not permitted to wear a certain article of clothing in fear of distraction is indirectly teaching them that their bodies are a sexual object to men and therefore we should accommodate them. It also indirectly conditions them to think that their worth is equal to what they wear, which results in insecurities and the constant desire for validation. But doesn’t this contradict the “don’t judge a book by its cover” rule of life that we were taught as young kids? Or does that rule only apply to the male gender?
It’s odd that the underage female body is considered a sexual symbol. When young girls are told to be modest, it’s basically sexualizing their wardrobe. It’s even more odd the one’s who teach us to be modest are adults. According to the student dress code policy, if a student comes to school wearing inappropriate attire, they are to report to the OSM, call their parent/guardian, and change into attire that fits the policy. If the OSM doesn’t have clothes, then you are to sit there until they find clothes for you.
Wasting away a young girl’s education in the name of “modesty” is exactly what women have been fighting against for the past few decades, and is what developing countries are struggling to overcome. Dress codes should exist as a way to note that school is a professional learning environment, but many girls have criticized the dress code policy is sexist in that it unfairly targets girls by body shaming them for promoting sexual harassment. But why are girls being held accountable for harassment? Rather than teaching young women how to dress, enforcing more punishment on harassers would be a more effective way to prevent such situations, and would create a safer environment for all students.