The fingertip test. At age 12, most girls know that in order to go to school during the spring and summer their outfit must pass the fingertip test. For those who may not have read up on school dress codes, or who weren’t subject to the ridiculousness of policing the bodies of young girls and women, it means that your shorts, skirts and dresses must pass the tips of your fingers to be appropriate for school.
This week, school dress codes made waves again when students from an Alberta high school posted this sexist and derogatory note in the halls of their school:
“WHEN YOU WEAR LITTLE TO NO CLOTHING AND DRESS PROVOCATIVELY BECAUSE IT’S ‘TOO HOT OUT’ OR BECAUSE YOU THINK IT’S ‘ATTRACTIVE’, YOU ARE PUTTING BOYS AT RISK OF HAVING A DISTRACTING WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND SAYING ‘YOUR CLOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR EDUATION.’ INSTEAD OF DRESSING LIKE A ****, VALUE THE MALE EDUCATION AND DRESS CONSERVATIVELY.”
After we read this note, we really had to scratch our heads and wonder what was so distracting about shoulders that young men are completely paralyzed from getting their ‘male education.’ What notes like this do is perpetuate a culture where we sexualize female student’s bodies and reinforce to young women that it is up to them to prevent boys’ from harassing them. We do nothing to place accountability on the young men and boys’ who have been taught (from centuries of misogyny) that it is their right to objectify women’s bodies.
When school dress codes are enforced, more often than not punish the female students. Young women have to adhere to dress codes that call out specific parts of their body that must remain clothed. The focus from schools, teachers and even some parents is that girls should hide their bodies. What women wear is not the problem, the problem is that we don’t challenge these sexist policies and responses.
So we ask, why continue to police what young women and girls wear instead of teaching young men and boy’s simple things like self-control? When we put the onus on women to create an environment where men are comfortable, we ignore the ramifications. We ignore the disruption that young women and girls face from having to go home and change during school, we ignore the embarrassment and shame associated with being called out for a visible bra strap and we ignore the fact that we place men’s education and right to a ‘distraction free environment’ above women’s right to learn.
