Why should any woman go nude just to prove a point? I have found myself asking this question several times and I just can’t seem to find a suitable answer. Protesting for a cause is a huge thing and it is one of the essentials in a democratic government; everyone has the right to a peaceful protest.
Nudity is sometimes used as a tactic during a protest to attract public attention to a cause. Even in places where public nudity is tolerated, it is still unexpected enough that its use by activists as a deliberate tactic is often successful in attracting publicity from the media.
Recently, topless protesters targeted Italy’s former premier Silvio Berlusconi as he went to vote in the country’s election – which could plunge Europe into fresh economic chaos. The three women, thought to be from feminist protest group Femen, burst from a crowd of journalist outside a polling station in Milan and lunged at the controversial politician.
But the demonstrators, who had ‘Basta Berlusconi’, meaning ‘Enough of Berlusconi’, written on their bodies, were grabbed by police officers and dragged away before they could reach him.
FEMEN is a feminist Ukrainian protest group based in Kiev, founded in 2008. The organization became internationally known for organizing topless protests against sex tourists, religious institutions, international marriage agencies, sexism and other social, national and international topics.
And then, I asked myself if ‘Topless protests’ can be done in Africa and I got very few findings. Last year, over 15 women activist in Uganda wearing only their bras but had their lower region covered with wrappers, skirts and so on, staged a protest outside the Central Police station to call for the attention of the Inspector General of Police on police brutality against Ugandan women (details here) . But really, ‘topless protests’ may not happen in Africa just yet and we all know why….deep rooted cultural values, religion….and so on. Even the Aba Women’s Riot was not a ‘Nudity protest’. But this may not be all…right?
Are there feminist groups in Africa that could protest nude? if there is/are, what could motivate the group to protest nude and how will the continent react to such move?
#justthinking.
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