Style’s Assumed Consent
A discussion on the role fashion plays in rape culture.
“Don't wear provocative clothes, you're asking for it.”
How many times have you or your female friends been told anything close to that? Unfortunately, this is a typical piece of unhelpful and judgmental guidance that our culture across multiple generations seem to be obsessed by. The style was the invite!
We are continuously connected to our tech devices and the rest of the world, and while this has provided us with unprecedented access to knowledge, it has also encouraged a slew of narrow-minded individuals to emerge from the woodwork. In an era where we are closer than ever to curing cancer, developing hovering technologies, and landing on other worlds, there is one area where we appear to be stuck. Do clothes trigger rape? One such issue that is plaguing the general public.
When discussing sexual harassment, the topic of how the victim was dressing at the time still appears to matter. Whether she was dressing in a manner that culture might view as "sexy," "revealing," or "provocative," has become a mitigating factor.
Fashion has always affected the social facets of life. Changes in social, technological, and political landscapes are often caused by fashion. Thus, fashion helps and inspires culture while also encouraging innovation. However, Fashion has a negative effect as well. For example, it diverts people's interest away from more critical activities and affects the self-esteem of those who cannot afford such clothes.
When fashion tries to shift people's attention away from more constructive practices, particularly teens, they become more focused on getting the newest and most trendy clothing rather than on education. This allowed some people to claim that fashion is dangerous because it fosters a culture in which appearance is often valued or referred to more than character or, in the case of sexual harassment, the crime. According to scholarly articles, more men agree that clothes play a major role in who is assaulted.
Across the world, 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men reported some type of sexual harassment and/or abuse at some point in their lives. It is estimated that nearly 35% of women worldwide have encountered sexual abuse at some point in their lives. In most countries where rape evidence is available, fewer than 40% of women who witness sexual harassment seek assistance. Less than 10% request the support of law enforcement.
Although statistics show that fashion is not the source of sexual abuse and/or violence, society has some insane ideas about how wearing provocative clothing increases the likelihood of sexual assault. Organizations around the world, however, have started to use fashion trends to support the battle against sexual harassment.
In 2015, The WorldBank funded a fashion show in India and an art show in Bangladesh to raise awareness of gender-based abuse. WEvolve unveiled its anti-gender violence initiative with the Blue Runway Fashion Show in Mumbai, India.
The ‘Is it my fault?' show took place in 2018 at the Centre Communautaire Maritime in Brussels' Molenbeek city, intending to raise consciousness about sexual harassment. In the same year, South African women went nude on the streets to protest the country's high incidence of sexual harassment (South Africa being the highest rate of rape cases in the world).
The ideology that fashion contributes to rape is outdated and misdirected, and it is beyond time to avoid victim-blaming and making excuses. Women have the right to wear a mini skirt or long skirt, trousers or leggings, or a body fitted tight dress, and should be allowed to wear it without worrying that someone will use it as an excuse to stalk or rape them the moment they leave our homes.
Fashion is and should always be a safe place for individuals to express themselves and their artistic appearance. The fashion industry should be praised for the good that it does through confidence building and social expression, and should NOT be used as a weapon to victimize the weak and helpless in vulnerable times . Society and its lawmakers should create more awareness raised around women’s rights, more actionable accountability, and focus on the education of women’s rights to men rather than focus on fashion choices made by women. Because at the end of the day it is the person that rapes not the clothes.
‒ By Keren Beya @Kerebear_5