Outrage over proposal for female university students to wear uniforms.

There has been outrage over some calls by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission ZGS for unversities to impose regulations that female students should wear uniforms. The proposal was made amid escalating rape cases being experienced in the country. Most people were enraged by the proposal and said women are not being raped simply because of what they wear. It is actually a scourge that has taken over.

Minister of Women’s affairs Sithembiso Nyoni said the proposal in itself is an affront to women and a from of abuse. She said,”We shouldn’t respect the uniform but the person, it means we are saying our men have no respect for women but uniforms”. Most people uttered the same sentiments and said women should not be defied by what they wear. It is by no means a justification for men to pounce in them and rape them.

Minister of higher and tertiary education Amon Murwira said whilst it is a fact that universities do not have regulations to impose the wearing of uniforms in female students, issues of clothing were preferential and it is a free country. Many people said ZGC should nothing the blame of being raped in the female victims. They said the proposal seemed to perpetuate a wrong into a right.

Cases of rape have been on the rise since the beginning of the year. Women have had to bear the brunt of nursing emotional wounds after such an encounter. In South Africa, a young student Uyinene, was recently raped and murdered in what sparked a #Am I next campaign. University students have been wearing their own clothes since the institutions were established.