Wear a mini-skirt in predominately Christian Swaziland, Africa, and you'll spend six months in jail because you're just asking to be raped. In fact, if you do get raped, it's your fault. That's what authorities believe. So, rather than attacking the problem of rape itself, by strengthening laws, authorities have banned women from wearing provocative clothing, or as they put it "rape-provoking" clothing.
Besides min-skirts, this also means no 'midriff-revealing tops, and low-rise jeans' because according to police spokeswoman Wendy Hleta:
"The act of the rapist is made easy, because it would be easy to remove the half-cloth worn by the women."
"I have read from the social networks that men and even other women have a tendency of 'undressing people with their eyes.' That becomes easier when the clothes are hugging or are more revealing," she said.
Great. She gets her information from social networks.
It's okay, however, for young women to bounce around in traditional garb without a top and bare butts (just a beaded skirt covering their front) during the various festivals like the annual Reed Dance ceremony when the current King Mswati III gets to pick his future virgin wife, no underwear allowed. So far he has 13.
Apparently the ban was instituted in response to a demonstration by Swaziland females asking for protection against an increase in rapes across the kingdom. It was blocked by police.
Source: Al Jazeera
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