More About Miniskirts by Hedwig Ndokosho

Throughout history women have always been marginalised, and have often been second to men. Even in the most ancient of text, such as the Bible a woman is said to have been made from the rib of a man, and was intended to be men’s companion. To bring it closer to home, in most historical African traditions a man was allowed to have more than one wife, the more wives he had there more wealthy he was said to be. This turned women in to property, in that sense, a wealthy man is said to have a large farm and perhaps six wives and thirteen children. The woman is nothing but a “baby making machine”.  This of course is history.

Now I am living in the Twenty first century where women are supposedly free, yet almost every week there is a dead woman in the news. The most resent of horrifying crimes being the woman that was found tied up and strangled just last week. Recently the Namibian woman has become an endangered species. Many feminist movements in Namibia are working overtime to reduce the violence. Sister Namibia has arranged numerous events. Upon one of their visits to The Polytechnic of Namibia, they showed the phenomenal eye-opener Killing us Softly.  After which a debate broke out with certain misguided souls claiming that woman who wear short and provocative outfits are asking to be raped. This of course was very disturbing to here if even the educate can still debate about such matters than there is still plenty to be done.

Then there was the infuriating mini skirt scandal. I do not consider myself to be a mini-skirt person, yes, I and probably most woman out there have judged those who have worn mini-skirts that at one point seemed inappropriate. In fact, before the mini-skirt scandal I was walking through the city when I saw a woman in what I thought was the most ridiculously short purple dress I have ever seen, and I thought to myself, or maybe shared it with a friend that she looked like she was going to burst. I believe most woman that day thought the same thing, but that is beside the point. I never in my mind imagine that she should be arrested by the police. Since when is the Namibian Police the Fashion Police? Instead of hunting down killers, and attempting to reduce the slaughter, they move a step back and have the gull to ban mini-skirts. I strongly believe that no woman in the twenty first century should be forbidden from wearing what she wants. This is a free country; the woman is a human being. Why is it that the guys are allowed to wear their pant bellow the buttock, which by the way is tradition which began in American prisons, representing that said person was willing to have sex. One wonders which of the two is more provocative.

To all women I say, you are not a piece of property, or symbol of wealth, or baby-making machine. No one who treats you as such deserves any of your time. You should have respect for yourself, your capabilities, and your fellow woman. I do not want to use labels, but we are all sisters and should stand together not apart. This is why even if I would not have been caught dead in a mini-skirt, which apparently can happen literally, I went a bought a mini-skirt to support my sisters and mostly because I can.  🙂