by Natasha Lin
Note: This article is part of a series of student editorials submitted to the annual New York Times Editorial Contest. If you submitted an editorial and would like to be published on The Helix, please contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief.
A group of female students posing for a photo. (Credit: Gillian Flaccus/The Associated Press)
“Should you be wearing that?”: a question females have been burdened with for years that simply just can’t seem to be abandoned despite our endless efforts to end sexual discrimination. Ever since we were young, we’ve been told by society what is appropriate and what is inappropriate to wear. Centuries have passed, and we still see instances of juries asking what rape victims wore when they were assaulted or when girls are told to cover up their bodies when walking home at night. The perpetrators of these ideations don’t understand how demeaning it is, being stripped away from our rightful freedom of expression.
And what’s the school's response to this ongoing problem? Dress codes.
Well, guess what, school boards; dress codes aren’t going to end sexual assault but only fuel the remnants of the patriarchy that we have been trying so hard to exterminate from history. Studies revealed by a Federal Commission on Crime of Violence that women who dressed conservatively were more likely to be raped, signifying that there is no clear indication that dressing more revealing will “provoke” men. The stereotype that “covering up” will protect a woman from danger is severely flawed, especially when the danger in question is caused by the same social hierarchy of male influence. It may end up doing more harm than good, for you may have just diminished an individual’s sense of worth and image. That being the case, schools should be more lenient when governing what their students should wear.
Skirts, tank tops, and leggings: all usual attire for females going to school but banned from being worn in many schools. It seems to me that these guidelines implicitly oversexualize young girls. This can cause them to feel self-conscious about their bodies when in reality, it is not their fault for wanting to dress the way that suits them. Dress codes make it seem like we are simply just objects for attractional purposes, pressuring us to dress the way society sees as proper. However, if these expectations are constantly changing and progressing into new ones, then why would we even need them to begin with?
To some, clothing is not just something you wear. Some use clothing as a way to creatively express themselves, display their personalities, and admire their own uniqueness. Why should we let anyone be judged for what they personally choose to wear, let alone, tell someone that it is not acceptable? We need to educate school authorities on the discrimination and oppression behind dress codes so that we can teach young women to not have to cower behind questions like “should you be wearing that?” ever again.
Sources
Bates, Laura. “Everyday Sexism Project: Dress Codes and Rape Culture.” TIME, 22 May 2015, https://time.com/3892965/everydaysexism-school-dress-codes-rape-culture/.
Claire, Marie. “Timeline of dress codes: History of men telling women what to wear.” Marie Claire, 20 September 2016, https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/reports/timeline-of-dress-codes-men-telling-women-what-to-wear-295043.
Kendall, Mikki. “Why dress codes can't stop sexual assault.” The Washington Post, 13 April 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/04/13/why-dress-codes-cant-stop-sexual-assault/.