Women in Swaziland Banned from Wearing Mini-Skirts

Mati Maravanyika,

Editor (Africa)

 

SWAZILAND –  Police have reportedly claimed that they are contemplating the implementation the 1889 law which forbids women from being “immorally” dressed.

Police believe that the reason rapes have substantially increased in the kingdom can be attributed to the mini-skirts worn by women.  Last month, while women were protesting against rape in the city of Manzini, police were reportedly blocking them and hindering their efforts.

Notably, this law (imposed during colonial times) will not affect the women in traditional clothing during rituals including the annual reed dance ceremony where a new wife is chosen by the monarch.

Swaziland is patriarchal and is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan’s only monarch, and he has 13 wives. With a population of around 1.2 million, Swaziland has one of the highest Aids rates in the world.  As a result of the rise and spread of AIDS and in an attempt to stop promiscuity, in 2000, the government announced that they would be enforcing a new law whereby it is necessary for 10 year-old school girls to wear knee-length skirts.

Women were made aware of the colonial-era rule by police who had received complaints from men concerned about women wearing mini-skirts in Manzini. If convicted of the crime of “immorality”, one could be ordered to pay a fine of £6 ($10) or face up to 6 months in jail if they are unable to pay the fine.  A police spokeswoman ordered women to be conscious and cognizant of how they dress and should refrain from wearing provocative clothing.

Many men believe that women provoke rape and violence through their revealing clothes, therefore if they were more appropriately dressed, violence and rape would not occur.

If this new law were to be enforced, it would have negative effects not only on Swazi women, but on the rest of the women in Africa and the whole world. The law promotes the idea that women can prevent rape. Therefore if it occurs, they are to blame. The law is flawed in that it does not take into account the countless rapes that have occurred while women were fully and “appropriately” dressed. Through this law, women will begin to blame the act of rape on themselves, thus, the blame will be shifted from the rapists. This law excuses rapists implying that their lack of control should not be blamed on themselves but rather, on their victims, whose experiences are trivialized.

In a world ruled pre-dominantly by men, it is surprising that many of the policewomen are in favor of the law. While policewomen claim that they are not encouraging violence against women, they are doing so inadvertently through their support of the law.

Image Courtesy: huffingtonpost.co.uk