Mini-Skirts and Shorts Ban Was One Step Too Far

When thousand guests gather at a university’s forecourt, among them hundreds of fresh students and tens of sympathisers, family and friends; when gallant press men are there too, alert and attentive as always, ensuring not to miss a moment or an uttering, it a certainly a MOMENT TO ENJOY.

For a university’s greenhorns, it is a moment to savour. Filled with smiles and joy, they should be clapping, murmuring and giggling through each address as the speakers take turns to speak to them.

They should not at any moment need strength and spirit to take every next announcement. But just how damaging a blow can a fresh student take when the next message is one of an embargo?

The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) bans mini-skirts and shorts to lectures.

“Management has raised concerns about an increase in indecent dressing by students. Management has therefore decided on the following and this should not only go to fresh men and women but for the continuing students as well. No shorts or mini-skirts are to be worn for lectures. Clothes which expose your vital parts shall not be entertained. Management will apply sanctions with regards to any violations of these directives”, Dr Wilberforce Dzisah, the rector of the university pronounced.

And with those swiping remarks, there is no doubt the giggling would cease.The murmuring may, well, continue for quite an unabated period of time, only this time harsher and louder. The news probably the only update that would fail to attract an applause, albeit the few from presumably fellow management members.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched indeed to say that these students would be traumatised. That would be too heavy a bombshell to take on the day of one’s acceptance into the university.

The headline “GIJ bans mini-skirts and shorts to lectures” went viral in minutes. The Students’ Representative Council, (SRC) through the Women’s Commission gave their support for the decision in days.And surely, this is one subject that is set to be discussed for months.

Suraiya Gomda, Women’s Commissioner of the Students’ Representative Council, SRC

Is the ban on mini-skirts and shorts justified? My short answer is NO!

Fashion, I have always held the view is subject to one’s style and taste. I still maintain that stance.

The act of going against norms to make something interesting yet original is what makes it the more exciting.I am never one however to give my backing for the improper combination of clothes.

He’s sure looking dapper

Even with my strongest opinions on individuals exerting their own powers over their appearance needs, what, how, when, why and what to where are questions that can never be overlooked in the world of fashion and style.

Yet this latest ban on costume is one that amazes me greatly. Why? Because GIJ is a damn university!

When posed with the question as to what the dress code for the university was on Rice University’s website, this is what Kaitlin,fashion writer on the school’s website had to say. “Well, the new dress code for tertiary students is that there is none. Gone are the days when rules and restrictions governed the way students dress for school, she writes”.

“Tertiary students”.

“There is none”.

“Gone are the days”.

The emphasis revealed by the above expressions couldn’t have been better accentuated.

How plain! At the university, no one should care about what you decide to wear to school. Isn’t everyone supposed to mind their own business? An emphatic YES!

Ain’t nice? Of course it is

Essentially, reasons abound concerning the need to ban mini-skirts and shorts on campus. The professional learning environment of GIJ, distraction to fellow students and sometimes lecturers, upholding grooming discipline and order and preparation for mainstream workplace requirements are all cited for propagating this latest dressing code.

Speaking of mainstream workplace requirements, many have pointed out that maintaining some form of “acceptable” dress code while eliminating “distracting” ones is essential to complete academic learning. The assertion is strengthened when you throw in the fact that GIJ upholds professional training at the core of its education.Ridding off campus of mini-skirts and shorts they say, is intended to prepare students of what is up to standard within the workforce.

The truth is that the evolving working environment of various businesses require no dress codes as we are being deceived to believe this ban would solve. Majority of work among the youth nowadays barely take place at designated offices, factories and stations. Many of our youth today and employers of virtual companies, dotcom businesses, etc. too are more concerned about performance on the job instead of whatever their staff are wearing. After all why not, because they barely often even meet their employees physically.

Considering that many businesses encourage their staff to work from home due to a rapid advance in technology, a place that no prying eyes would scrutinise one’s skirts and shorts makes this GIJ costume ban the less meaningful.

Then there is also the rumour for the ban being that the over-exposing nature of these outfits makes it grueling for students to concentrate during lectures. As such, the proposers of the ban argue that “unruly” form of clothes must therefore not be allowed on campus where education is the only primary objective.

Ellen Kate, exposing the lies told about school dress codes to cover its oppressive influences says that the view of inability to concentrate at school due to revealing clothes is “utterly hetero-sexist”. She adds that such an assessment degraded boys to rampant sexual terrors who have no power to control their libidos while also throwing into the face of ladies that they were guilty for such conduct of boys. This, she concludes belittled the responsibility of both parties.

But not only is this ban culturally and socially unacceptable. The ban it must be said is an insult to the integrity and intelligence of young university adults to decide for themselves what is appearance-wise right and wrong. Subtly, what this ban tells students is that you obviously don’t seem to be able to think for yourself and therefore must be given guidelines in the way you dress to school. How offensive!

Granted, “good-grooming” is part of putting your foot forward, as we have learned over the years as Ghanaian children through to adulthood. Yet the goal of education, aimed at helping students to develop expertise-based competencies and critical thinking skills to bring about change in society is entirely deflated when the slightest effort is made at suppressing voices, individuality, participation and decisiveness. Adaptability and not conformity needs to be the goal.

In an interaction with Nicholas, a Level 300 Public Relations student in the Weekend School on the subject, he quizzes, “for me my question to management is that, who is complaining? We are rather enjoying the sights”. Dear GIJ, what are the names of the nagging students? For Nicholas, young boys and girls distracted by such attire should learn to control themselves. Period!

“If you are seated in class and you are looking around for mini-skirts (and shorts), then there is a problem with you”, says popular Ghanaian rapper M.anifest. The Macalester College graduate couldn’t have been wrong.

M.anifest also had his say on the subject

Quite frankly, personally, if management wishes to help students perform better at their grades and more importantly their potential workplaces,there are many things that could be considered than policing their fashion tastes to lectures.

Reverting to the previous lesser number of students in a class would greatly help to reduce the lecturer-student ratio, introduction and expansion of existing hands-on infrastructure (radio and television studios) available at the university would also certainly help to train students more practically while exchange programme courses has in the last few years also been given great consideration, all provisions that GIJ lacks or is not exploiting substantially.

So would banning mini-skirts and shorts wipe out any unfair treatment by peers and lecturers due to students socio-economic differences? NO! Mobile phones, jewelleries, mere hairstyles and watches can make the economic backgrounds of students more than visible.

Would banning mini-skirts and shorts prevent students from dressing sexually? NO! Leggings, tight and high-waist jeans and pants, crop tops, fitting t-shirts, singlets and sleeveless blouses are all few of the many avenues to exploit for provocative dressing.

Would banning mini-skirts and shorts bring fewer discipline and sanction problems? NO! Research shows that the stricter the rules, the more effort required to maintain it.

What then would the ban of mini-skirts and shorts achieve? Dear reader, your guess is as good as mine.

Until then GIJ, the decision was one step too far.