Dress Code Law Is Eased But Women Are Stil

Sungani · Veteran Member

Dress Code Law Is Eased But Women Are Stil

Black Panther · Senior Member

Politcally, were allowed to wear whatever. Socailly we are not. that is the problem.This is the fault of the democracy and Banda. Banda b/c he had a tight grip npn everything it was hard to seperate politics and culture in Malawi - it still is. So people wanted democray, but democracy comes with certain things, like letting women wear what they want. The problem in Malawis cas is that one day pple could not wear pant. the next day they could - this was a political move - b/c socailly we were not ready. If uve not been allowed to do somethig fore so long then one day u can pple become confused and disoreinted. The Malawian govt needed to introduce chnge slowly and do more to sensitize the public on the up coming change what it means, and how they should react. Too Fast. too soon. too little public education.

That said , if ur a Malawian women, u know how our pple are. Dont go home and wear things that u know pple will have a problem wtih , yes , u have freedom to do so- (and dont do it b/c of other people - do it 4 ur self protection ) - ur likely to get raped. Or carry and emergency chtitnje if ur not sure . a skirt up to the knee shouldnt be a big deal. but it is.

funny that they leave mzungus alone when it comes to this - IN the Malawian mind mzungus are untouchable (but not like the type u find in India) - we're still enslaved in that way. how many times hav i walked down the street in my own country and a Mzungu will walk on the side walk while the Malawian part like Moses and the red sea ? and if u just stand there they look at u then , they stand a little starteld and walk around u...done it before many times.... (but this is another topic)

chichi · Senior Member

wow is that still happening im really shocked. I thought alot of things changed in Malawi including that. I want to go to back home this summer for a visit and i left malawi 16yrs ago when Kamuzu Banda was still the president. when I hear things like this i get scared like how is it going to be like. I dont wear things that reveal but I do like to dress nice and i love wearing tight jeans I really hope that would not be a problem. I am really surprised cause i thought things changed.

Black Panther · Senior Member

advice: dont wear tight jeans.

-- Edited by Black Panther at 21:38, 2005-05-18

kesso · Senior Member

Reminds me of when my sister came to visit me when I lived in Malawi for the first time and made the mistake of wearing shorts to the Lilongwe market. She was mobbed by the vendors. Her only defence was to bring out her camera and take pictures. They somehow found it funny and starting posing...

Afana · Newbie

he!he!he! That is Malawi nothing changes....vendors rule the streets. Blantyre is a little bit better than Lilongwe. When it comes to minis, it is a no no for the vendors. Simwombo wathu....that is the argument. I was once on bank line in national bank and there was this lady in mini.....shaa...the guys on the line were very vocal in disapproving the mini. The lady in mini was just infront of me and the guy behind me wanted me to comment on issue. I defended the lady that she had freedom to wear whatever she desires becuase we are in democratic era and if they did not like it, we might as well bring back a youth ndi mapayoniya. Well, I alleast walked out of the bank with her number.....lol....

Roca · Member

So did you hit it?

Roca.

sugarplum · Member

Im now as worried as you are about my dress code when I go to Malawi on holiday,I dont wear short stuff in the day time but if I'm goin clubbin I do make an effort!!!!!if tight jeans are out what can else can we wear please!!!!!!!!!!

Black Panther · Senior Member

Anything that is shapely. If you have a potatoe sack ur good to go. Infact, go to Saudi Arabi and by some good veiled outfits. ahh. ur set fo Malawi now. just kidding seriously though - we (women, mothers, daughters) need to teach our Malawian brothers some self control b/c thats what these type of crimes show - The govt should have ads campaingns against this type of mob behavior -

Its a type of lawlessness. They are taking matters in their own hands and their p*nises in their own hands.

nambewe · Newbie

girls

the problem we have at hand is that we cant educate the street vendor.. i went to malawi in 2003...i was dresses in jeans and top that covered up to almost the knees...being a woman with slightly big behind...the vendors started talking s..t saying i would be very sweet to f..., it was so embarassing being that i was with my step-father...mind you..the top wasnt tight at all...

before my mum came to visit europe..she used to have this ideas that if you wear tight things..pple will say u are a prostitute..it was until she visited europe that she saw how pple dress..she has since stopped pestering me and my sisters....

so..u see..my mum is educated and all...but she needed that exposure...ndeno atsika...vendor ntigulire ticket?

ree · Newbie

People dress however they want to in Malawi and some people exaggerate issues. Yes vendors will speak but also where are you wearing these clothes, on the mini bus you will be in trouble. Unless people are straight naked there will be a fuss, it is not as bad you are making it sound.

Tight jeans in Malawi is not an issue. I go home every summer and I dress the way I want to dress and no one says anything but it also depends on where I am going. Of course I will never wear a short skirt and walk where the vendors are--that is just a recipe for disaster. Even here if your stay in the urban area you know you don't wear short things where there are crack heads on the street they will treat you the same.

I stay in the city so I know when, what and how to wear certain things. For example, I can not wear provocative clothes when I will be crossing Florida and Georgia ave in DC because I know there is some crack head who will make a fuss and there will be an issue.

ree · Newbie

in the real world, women are making more money than menand getting more educated than men and so it is not a matter of choice unless this new generation starts sleeping with older men for their money.

Look at the stats of any school and work place women are begining to dominate.

For me it does not matter,I can be with a man who earns less than me but if he can love me support and also be motivated to better himself I will love him.

ree · Newbie

My bad, last message was for broke guys, ignore it

ushergirrl · Newbie

quote:

Originally posted by: nambewe
" girls the problem we have at hand is that we cant educate the street vendor.. i went to malawi in 2003...i was dresses in jeans and top that covered up to almost the knees...being a woman with slightly big behind...the vendors started talking s..t saying i would be very sweet to f..., it was so embarassing being that i was with my step-father...mind you..the top wasnt tight at all... before my mum came to visit europe..she used to have this ideas that if you wear tight things..pple will say u are a prostitute..it was until she visited europe that she saw how pple dress..she has since stopped pestering me and my sisters.... so..u see..my mum is educated and all...but she needed that exposure...ndeno atsika...vendor ntigulire ticket?

Pamenepatu...maybe we indeed need to buy the ticket but the thing is once the enjoyin the fruits of workin in nursing homes i dont think they would want to go back to tell the other guys the way we are living especially about the dressin.imagine if u showed the vendor the photos on malawiana??

sugarplum · Member

Goodluck educating the vendors!!!! Hope they dont rape you in the process, those guys dont want to be educated,they enjoy humiliating women and they have no respect for women. If you want to dress freely better have armed police escorting you,because as far as i can remember those vendors "alibe 2oclock" Just becareful ladies,I know its frustrating but better safe than sorry.......

Black Panther · Senior Member

I dont think educating the vendors is the problem, look at it this way, When Vendors see white folks in the same outfits, they dont say anything, if they find out that the gilr is foreign, usually they dont say anything- so its not like they dont have self control - it just an excuse for a chaep thrill.

sugarplum · Member

That's why I said they dont want to be educated,they dont mind white women dressed like that because they dont get as turned on as they do when they see a black woman dressed like that. All that hostility is due to sexual tension,that's their mentality,they think if you flaunt it then you must be wanting to be ****ed.

kesso · Senior Member

Yeah but that problem is everywhere. When a skimpy dressed woman or any woman at all seem by society as the loose moral type gets assaulted for instance you hear them (mostly men); even some women say that she deserved it because of her lack of modesty. It's ignorance gone mad. If men feel they have to assault or less still, abuse a woman for what she's wearing, then it's the men who should be put away. Just because I leave my door unlocked doesn't mean I deserve to be robbed. The robber is the problem!

So with that logic, your clothes aren't the problem, the vendors are. We all are naked underneath anyway, aren't we? But vendors are just like that. Hang about on the street all day looking for trouble etc. They enjoy taunting folks, especially women, it goes with the territory..