The dress code debate

Freedom of self-expression extends to one’s attire. And this freedom is not gender-specific. But on campus, often it is this which attracts frowns from the moral police. And also some diktats. Himadri Hostel, the women’s hostel of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, yesterday issued a notice saying that women should wear “full covered decent western or Indian dresses” for the institution’s House Day, with the signature of the hostel’s warden below it.

The notice was then posted on Facebook by Pinjra Tod (a student’s body fighting against discriminatory rules for women in hostels, universities and colleges) and became an instant talking point on social media. The notice was later revoked and according to reports, Sreedevi Upadhyayula, warden of Himadri Hostel, said that no such dress code had been issued in the college and the notice could be a “prank by students”.

Pinjra Tod, a student’s body fighting against discriminatory rules for women in hostels, universities and colleges, posted the notice on Facebook saying, “Why do our administrations have this anxiety and desperate need to police what women wear? Every other day, there is some absurd diktat in one institution or another.”.

On being asked if such directions (issued exclusively to female students) were a common occurrence, a Pinjra Tod spokesperson said, “The number of women students in IIT is very less compared to male students. This itself creates many problems for students. And it’s not like anyone will mention anything about how they are dressed, but women students seem to experience the sense of not belonging to the institution.”

In January this year, Delhi University’s Miranda House issued a notice to students stating that “clicking selfies, combing hair or modelling in the gallery” can lead to suspension. The notice, issued to part-time students of the School of Open Learning (SOL), further stated: “Many students have been seen clicking selfies, combing their hair and modelling... The college administration does not permit this. If any student is found wasting their time, then she will be suspended for the day and sent out of the campus.”

“For such a long time we have been raising the issue, but such circulars prove that no one is listening. The more the restrictions, the more will be the resultant defiance. We are cornering youngsters and forcing them to do something disrespectful by being draconian,” says Sonali Khan, country director, Breakthrough, a global human rights organisation working to end violence against women and girls.

Referring to the difference in the ratio of male and female students in premier educational institutions, Sonali adds, “Check any survey about the number of girls in premier technology institutes and tell me why is the gender ratio so lopsided? I think it is because we want to dictate terms to girls — where they should go, what they should wear and by what time they should be home. We restrict them from even pursuing their careers. Do you think you can tell someone like Chanda Kochhar or Arundhati Bhattacharya what to wear to office?” asks Sonali.

For students, such instances and notices are not just disturbing but also a hindrance to their freedom of shaping their future. “In almost every college or university in our country, there exists a diverse range of discriminatory rules and regulations that seek to restrict the access and mobility of young women who come to study, work and live in a new city. Women are constantly moral-policed by the society, especially for their dressing,” states a Delhi University student on condition of anonymity.