Malawi Gender Activists Protest for Women’s Right to Wear Their Own Clothes

The streets of Blantyre, Malawi's commercial capital were taken over on January 20th in a protest against a spate of recent attacks by vendors on women. The attacks have involved the public undressing of women wearing pants or miniskirts. The protest was joined by Malawi Vice President Joyce Banda who spoke saying, "we have to say no to abuse of women, we have to fight for women's rights". Some of us have spent our entire life fighting for the freedom of women; it's shocking some men want to take us back to bondage."

Organizations such as Women and Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) joined forces with others including, church leaders, MP's, university lecturers and lawyers in this protest. Protestors wore pants, miniskirts and leggings, sang and danced to Marleys "No woman no Cry" and hoisted banners in the local Chichewa language ("Venda, Ndikugule, Undibvulenso ???") loosely translated as "Vendor, I buy from you and you strip me naked???

During the dictatorship of the late Hastings Banda women were banned from wearing trousers and miniskirts and men from wearing bell bottomed trousers and sporting dreadlocks. University of Malawi law lecturer Dr. Ngey Kanyongolo said it was shocking that in 2012 these issues were still being discussed when the indecency in dress laws was abolished 18 years ago.

The actions of vendors that triggered this protest was grounded in the belief that it was un-Malawian for women to wear miniskirts and trousers as this was an indicator of loose morals bordering on prostitution

President Bingu wa Mutharika weighed in on the issue saying "women are to be free to wear what you want", saying the country had no dress code barring women from wearing trousers. In the view of Seodi White one of the key speakers and organisers the protest was about the reclaiming of dignity for Malawian women.

Malawi is a predominantly agrarian economy with acute unemployment, fuel and foreign currency shortages. Last year there were nationwide protests organized by civil society organizations. It may have been this economic back drop that led Vice President Banda to suggest "economic woes" as the basis for the attacks on women. A similar view is held by Seodi White who suggested that women are being targeted by disaffected youth unhappy with the economic situation.

If women are the targets, an outlet for venting frustration it is the view of Faustace Chirwa Executive Director of the Malawi based National Women's Lobby Group that there should be tougher laws protecting women from abuse. She goes further to say "Like a lot of Africa there is a culture of instilling fear in women because people know they are voiceless even though they are guaranteed equality on paper. A lot of men in Africa believe they can dictate what women can do".