Malawian women protest after attacks for wearing pants, miniskirts


By Faith Karimi, CNN
January 20, 2012 -- Updated 1725 GMT (0125 HKT)

(CNN) -- Malawian women protested Friday to demand an end to attacks on those who were stripped naked on the streets for wearing pants, leggings and miniskirts, instead of dresses.

Street vendors accused women of defying cultural norms and attacked them this week in Lilongwe and Blantyre, two of the nation's largest cosmopolitan centers.

"They beat them up and stripped them naked, claiming they did not follow the tradition," said Seodi White, a rights activist and protest organizer.
"Attacking women in trousers is an outrage. We are a democracy, they're taking us back to the dark ages."

Protesters wore pants, miniskirts and leggings in a show of solidarity as they gathered to condemn the attacks.

Others wore white T-shirts that said: "Today we buy your merchandize, tomorrow you strip us naked!" Written in the local Chichewa language, the words were a reference to the vendors carrying out the attacks, organizers said.

"Women have a right to wear what they want," White said by phone from a protest in the commercial capital of Blantyre. "This is an embarrassment to our nation and an outright contempt for women."

Crowds chanted, "we are strong, we are strong," in the background as they demanded an end to the attacks.

Protesters met in closed spaces to avoid confrontations, she said, with her group gathering at a hall with supporters of both sexes.

The attacks have drawn the attention of the nation's president, who ordered police to arrest anyone attacking women over their attire.

In a speech on state media, President Bingu wa Mutharika warned the perpetrators to stop the attacks, saying women have a right to wear what they want.

Malawi banned women from wearing miniskirts and trousers during decades of dictatorship, but repealed the law in 1994 when the nation adopted multiparty democracy, White said.

Attacks on women wearing pants have occurred sporadically in other African nations as well, including Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Malawi guarantees gender equality in its constitution, but disparities remain in almost all aspects including education, employment and political power, according to human rights groups.

"Like a lot of Africa, there is a culture of instilling fear in women because people know they are voiceless even though they are guaranteed equality on paper," said Faustace Chirwa, executive director of Malawi-based National Women's Lobby Group.

Chirwa blamed the attacks on young men frustrated with the system who were venting their anger on women because they were easy targets.

"A lot of men in Africa believe they can dictate what women can do," she said. "We need tougher laws to protect women."

Chirwa said the Friday initiative is a step for women in Malawi to regain their constitutional rights.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/20/world/africa/malawi-pants-protest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

eGuerrilla:

Malawian women protest after attacks for wearing pants, miniskirts


"A lot of men in Africa believe they can dictate what women can do,"

smh

What is wrong with those women from Malawi?
See what their mates at Ado Ekiti were able to accomplish! The only improvement left is to limit the age of their protesters to between 16 and 24.
But we are still developing, so we understand. Yipee!



I don't even wanna talk about the Zulu's. Boy! Theirs is a class act!

Jokes apart, it is really babaric that in this day and age women are actually stripped in public, because of some silly tradition that requires them to wear dresses. Dresses?
When did this tradition of wearing dresses even kick off? Malawi is an African country and I can bet that the dresses they are trying to enforce are European. It just makes the whole thing silly; its an excuse for voyeurism at best by sex starved abusers.

Beaf:

Jokes apart, it is really babaric that in this day and age women are actually stripped in public, because of some silly tradition that requires them to wear dresses. Dresses?
When did this tradition of wearing dresses even kick off? Malawi is an African country and I can bet that the dresses they are trying to enforce are European. It just makes the whole thing silly; its an excuse for voyeurism at best by sex starved abusers.

Absolutely.

The genesis of this pseudo-theocratic policy of course dates back to the reign of Hastings Banda, which lasted between 1961 and 1994.
What I don't get is, how so little appears to have changed in the 18 years that has elapsed since the ol' dictator's ignominious exit.

His government supervised the people's lives very closely. Early in his rule, Banda instituted a dress code which was rooted in his socially conservative predilections. For example, women were not allowed to bare their thighs or to wear trousers. Banda argued that the dress code was not instilled to oppress women but to encourage honour and respect for them. For men, long hair and beards were banned as a sign of dissent. Men could be seized and forced to have a haircut at the discretion of border officials or police. Kissing in public was not allowed, nor were movies which contained depictions of kissing.
Even foreigners coming in to Malawi were subject to Banda's dress code. In the 1970s, prospective visitors to the country were informed of the following requirement for obtaining visas:
Female passengers will not be permitted to enter the country if wearing short dresses or trouser-suits, except in transit or at Lake Holiday resorts or National parks. Skirts and dresses must cover the knees to conform with Government regulations. The entry of 'hippies' and men with long hair and flared trousers is forbidden.

Something needs to be done about bush Africa men I tellya.
These are the kinds of things you read that would make you detest African men.
What rubbish. In the 21st century?