Algerians bare their legs to support girl snubbed for short skirt
First there was the scandal of the skirt that was ‘too long’ for France. Now there’s a skirt that’s ‘too short’ for Algeria. On May 9, an Algerian law student was refused entry to an exam because her skirt stopped above the knees. But social media users have rallied behind her, posting photos of their bare legs as a sign of resistance.
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First there was the scandal of the skirt that was ‘too long’ for France. Now there’s a skirt that’s ‘too short’ for Algeria. On May 9, an Algerian law student was refused entry to an exam because her skirt stopped above the knees. But social media users have rallied behind her, posting photos of their bare legs as a sign of resistance.
The decision taken by a supervisor to prevent the student from entering meant she was unable to sit an exam at Algiers' faculty of law. According to the website TSA Algerie, the university's vice-chancellor supported the supervisor's decision on the grounds that internal codes of conduct required students to "dress decently". He added that it was little more than a trivial incident.
In response, web users showed off their legs. Whether male or female, showing skin or wearing jeans, they all uploaded photos to a Facebook page entitled ‘My dignity isn’t in the length of my skirt’.
"I'd like this page to become a way of documenting what women have to go through every day"
Sofia Djema is a producer and the woman behind the Facebook page. She’s called on web users to upload photos of their legs to an album entitled 'Angry Legs’ to show that, after all, "they're just legs". For her, the incident is the natural result of deep social problems and a sign that women's rights are on the decline.
Setting up this Facebook page was like a reflex for me. What happened to the young girl is very tough. She was humiliated, and I didn’t want her to feel alone. It’s also a way of supporting those women who have already had similar experiences, because it’s a frequent problem in Algeria.
Screen grab of photos from the Facebook page "My dignity isn’t in the length of my skirt."
"The female body has become a battleground"
The female body becomes a battleground whenever a country is in a mess. By staying silent, we lose what little we have gained and the condition for women in public spaces starts to deteriorate. Nowadays, verbal abuse has become daily and routine. Women are harassed all the time in the capital, Algiers, whether they’re wearing a skirt or trousers. Even showing your arms has become a problem, but women still do it. At worst, you feel someone’s wandering hand. At best, someone makes a remark.
I don’t hold a grudge against men; it’s a lack of education and widespread poverty that makes them like that. For them, women are only worthy when they respect the norms of decency imposed by society. This leg incident is just the visible face of a deep-rooted problem, just like how in France, a skirt deemed ‘too long’ is in reality a reflection of that country’s own problems. It’s symptomatic of countries that haven’t sorted out their political and economic issues.
Post written with France 24 journalist Amira Bouziri (@AmiraB22).