One evident discriminatory practice against women is the dress code. A dress code is an organizational policy of a school, university, company, or community organization that prescribes prohibitions and rules for the wearing of clothing. For instance, Edmond Public School recognizes the right of female students to express themselves. However, the rules prescribe strict bans on headgear, netted clothing, display of drugs, and clothing that cannot be vulgar or obscene or must not contain signs of intolerance to the community. While it is possible to agree with some of the tenets, as they aim to minimize hatred and aggression, the ban on headgear, netted clothing, and no necklines in clothing above the hips may be calculated on my part to be a discriminatory practice. I disagree with this policy because there is a large amount of creative clothing currently available that is not obscene but does not fit the school rules. First, banning headgear seems unreasonable to me because for an individual to wear a bandana, hat, or cap can be part of their image. I truly do not understand how exactly a headdress used for a nonreligious purpose could prevent my classmates or me from learning effectively.
On the other hand, no one considers that a headdress can help me feel more comfortable and confident. Second, the ban on necklines seems discriminatory to me because necklines are an essential part of self-expression in clothing that in no way interferes with the suitable learning process. Evidence shows that such a ban for women alludes to the alleged possibility of distracting men from the learning process; thus, the woman, in this case, is sexualized (Stiny & Miller, 2018). However, it is unclear why if a man is distracted by my clothes, it is my problem, not his. Finally, banning tattoos that supposedly show disruptive behavior is also discriminatory because it is one thing to have such tattoos and another thing to actually show disruptive actions. Research shows that for many students, tattoos are a way of self-expression and working through trauma, regardless of the context of the image (Stirn, 2022). In other words, such a ban restricts the student’s rights to creativity and freedom of disposal of their body.
To summarize, I believe that a dress code policy can only be correct when it is not discriminatory. Several unacceptable restrictions at Edmond Public School prevent me as a woman from freely expressing myself in dress and style. These include banning mesh clothing, necklines, and tattoos with a destructive message. I have given reasons for the unreasonableness of each of the bans and shown that they can be seen as unreasonable and discriminatory.
References
Stiny, A., & Miller, C. (2018). Santa Fe Public Schools relaxes dress code. Santa Fe New Mexican. Web.
Stirn, A. (2022). Motivations for body piercings and tattoos — The role of sexual abuse and the frequency of body modifications. ResearchGate. Web.