The long and short of miniskirts

Not long ago, skirts were long and full. With time, skirts have become short, shorter and currently shortest, leaving very little to the imagination.

Miniskirts and dresses however have been here for as long as we can remember. While there’s no known inventor, Mary Quant, a fashion Icon from them days is accredited for making the miniskirt popular.

But while all that has been going on, those against minis haven’t gone to sleep. They have engaged the public in heated debates around these short skirts. Their argument is that this fashion is promoting immorality; it is against our African culture and so on.

This war began a long time ago. In the late 60s and early 70s, miniskirts were banned in several African countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda.

Last year, students from Rwathia Girls’ Secondary School in Kenya went on strike because their skirts were too long and ugly –not ideal for their age.

The most recent development however, is the tabling of the Anti-Pornography Bill in the Ugandan Parliament last month.

The act was proposed because the Ugandan government was concerned about the increase in pornographic materials in the media including nude dancing music videos. Therefore, they saw a need to establish a legal framework to regulate these acts.

According to the Ethics minister Simon Lokodo, pornography fuels sexual crimes against women and children. He was cited saying that any attire that exposes intimate parts of the human body, especially areas that are of erotic functions should be banned.

And any woman who wears a miniskirt should be arrested. The act proposes a fine of Ush10 million or up to 10 years in jail, or both to anyone caught in a short skirt.

The good, the bad and the ugly side of minis

“I think the issue of length can be very confusing especially when referring to different groups in our communities. But all in all, African culture is very open about certain issues. It is considered disrespectful for a man to see certain body parts of a woman, in public.

Biologically, a man is naturally attracted to a woman who exposes too much flesh. This, sometimes, can provoke shameful acts,” says Masaka Ramadan, a resident of Dar es Salaam.

The 48-year-old explains that in Tanzania, just like many African countries, women are taught how to dress, act and generally carry themselves around. But these teachings have been overtaken by fashion trends.

“Women and young girls are aping Western culture. They are wearing skinny trousers and short skirts often in broad daylight. In a man’s world, this is provocation of the highest order, no wonder these girls are cat-called by men in places like Mwenge.”

Why women wear short clothes

A British retailer Debenhams conducted a research to see if there’s any connection between skirt length and age. Could it be that the length of the skirt receded with age or the other way round?

The result showed that women in their 40s are more likely to show a bit of leg than women in their 30s and when it comes to wearing the shortest skirts, 23-year-olds are the winners where the average hemline for this age hovers around 12.5 inches.

While this may be true in Britain, a few Tanzanian men think that wearing a short skirt has got a lot to do with one’s mind-set.

Eric Marwa, 27, a petty trader in Mwenge says that women who wear minis are taken for prostitutes.

“The community has very little respect for them,” he says, adding that he prefers women who wear decent skirts. “I like women who respect themselves and a skirt right on the knee is just perfect.”

Gilbert Kianga, a self-employed civil engineer is just as against short skirts as Eric. According to him, there’s nothing wrong with men complaining about minis because everything is written in the African book of culture.

“Khaki, kaniki, and khanga were part of African traditional attire. Women made dresses and life was good. Don’t forget that an African woman is generally endowed, although some of them get into dieting,” he says.

“A plus-size woman in a mini skirt is just unacceptable. Slender ones maybe, can get away with short clothes.”

What the wearer thinks

One of the reasons the miniskirt made fashion history is because it helped to fuel a movement for female social and sexual liberation that began in the 1960s.

Truth is, the battle is still on and the fact that more and more women feel unbound by culture or anyone’s opinion is probably the reason they wear what pleases them.

And as fashion designers play with the length of skirts, women get comfortable in very short skirts and dresses. Mini dresses and skirts is quickly becoming popular workplace attire.

While Imelda Maro, 30, doesn’t want to declare her stand on the matter, she clarifies what is considered a miniskirt and what isn’t.

“We should note that there is huge difference between a short skirt and a miniskirt.

A woman wearing a miniskirt during the day will always get attention especially from men. Naturally, men will look if there’s something to look at.

I find nothing wrong with a short skirt- a few inches above the knee- worn during the day to the office. It is fashionable as well as comfortable,” says Imelda.

Imelda also points out that some women are blessed with beautiful legs which they don’t mind flaunting. All the same, some of them push the envelope too far.

Salustia Bure, is least concerned about the length of the skirt. The secondary school teacher based in Korogwe, Tanga believes that there’s more to the debate than meets the eye.

“Whether you wear a long or a short dress, the treatment is the same. Let’s focus on rural areas where according to available statistics, rape cases are higher compared to urban areas.

And when you come to think of it, these victims didn’t provoke their attackers by wearing short or tight clothes, they were decently dressed,” she says.

The 25-year-old is more than convinced that men need to change their mindset if the society is to progress.

Whether the debate continues or Bills are signed, the issue of miniskirts goes beyond the length of the skirt.

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