Wednesday, March 30, 2016

What does a school dress code that is not designed to shame girls for having bodies look like?

I was looking at local high school dress codes and came across what might be one of the most obvious examples of what dress codes designed to shame girls for having bodies and those designed to foster respectful and inclusive environments look like.

School 1

Notice that the second consideration in determining the dress code is to keep the learning environment free from distraction, and that it is based on the premise of "modesty and civility."

School 2

This dress code emphasizes respect and cultural diversity. Very few specific items are banned for not covering up enough skin, with the caveat that underwear should not be visible. At this school, girls wear spaghetti straps, crop tops, and shorts and skirts of any length they wish, and the universe has not yet exploded!

This dress code has been in place for quite some time, and graduation rates for boys has not fallen, nor have their grades dropped from witnessing girls' shoulders on a regular basis.

As many other bloggers have pointed out, when girls receive the message that their body is a distraction, and that boys' education is more important than girls' comfort in the classroom, girls are learning that their own education is just not that important.