Snapshot
After a video circulated in 2014 showing the public abuse and harassment of a woman in Harare, Zimbabwe, women organized a miniskirt march to protest widespread street harassment and to push for safe spaces.
In Zimbabwe there is a cultural ideology that dictates that women are not allowed to wear revealing clothes, and if they do, men can publicly harass them with impunity. However, this ideology is now being challenged in the streets. In December 2014, social media in Zimbabwe and around the world lit up with a video showing a young woman being harassed and stripped naked at a taxi stand by rowdy men calling her all sorts of degrading names, allegedly because her dress was too short.
The video enraged the activist community, especially women’s rights activists and human rights defenders. The women activists said “enough is enough,” that it was high time they did something to challenge violence against women head-on. Various ideas for addressing the matter were put forward, but the one that stood out was dubbed a “miniskirt march.”
The ball is in our court to rise creatively against sexual harassment of women in the home and in public.
The protest march was organized by Katswe Sistahood, a movement of dynamic young women fighting for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Zimbabwe, and publicized through word-of-mouth and the involvement of grassroots women’s organizations. Scores of women showed up in miniskirts and tight-fitting clothes to parade through the streets of Harare, protesting against the harassment they encounter on a daily basis.
Although the march was received with mixed feelings from the general public, it played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe in addressing the violation of women’s rights. The attackers who stripped the young woman were eventually arrested, remanded in prison, and are facing charges of indecent assault. The march also caught the attention of female political leaders like First Lady Grace Mugabe, who declared during the official launch of International Women’s Day 2015 in Harare, “let us give our children the freedom to dress as they please.”
Safety, security, and freedom of expression are fundamental if young women are to reach their fullest potential. The ball is in our court to rise creatively against sexual harassment of women at home and in public.
Originally published in Beautiful Rising.
Key theory
In Zimbabwe, violence against women is rife. Young women in particular are vulnerable to human rights abuses including rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment in the streets, especially at taxi stands. Women’s frustration is understandable in the face of the widespread harassment they face, including arbitrary arrests at night, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and limits to freedom of movement. Young feminist organizers are drawing on a long tradition of feminist thought and tactics as they grapple with how to stop this cycle of abuse and harassment. Miniskirt march participants marched under the banner of feminism, inspired by the movement’s historic commitment to advancing women’s equality and defending every woman’s right to freedom of expression and movement.
Key tactic
Large numbers of women marching through the streets in miniskirts sparked an important debate around the horrendous treatment of girls and women in public. By seeking safety in numbers, these women ensured their voices rang out loud and clear against street harassment.
Key principle
Humiliation is one of the most insidious forms of gender violence. In response, many activists are working to create safe spaces for women in their homes, in the community, and in the streets. Similar miniskirt marches have been carried out in various other African countries, including Kenya, Swaziland, Uganda, and Tunisia. The success or failure of these campaigns has depended on various factors including the sociocultural background of particular communities, as well as the religious and political environments, but all have sought to foster safe spaces for women as a way to encourage them to speak out against public harassment.