Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in thе Universal Declaration of Human Rights, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Our society imposes “norms” on the division of the sexes and their style of dress. Men should wear suits with ties, women should wear skirts and heels. To see the opposite is unthinkable. What stops millions of people from expressing themselves through the way they dress is fear. The fear of being ridiculed and discussed. The fear of being rejected by society. A fear of your own making. Mental boundaries that all people have and because of which these norms still exist. Everything is only in our head and it’s high time we throw away these stereotypes and realize that no matter how people dress – we are all human. We are all equal and whether I wear a skirt or a suit with a tie, it is what makes me different makes me also the unique person that I am.
Self portrait. Author: Mihaela Georgieva, student, 11th grade, Foreign Language High School “Peter Bogdan”, Montana
Reflection Questions:
- What does freedom of expression include? Does the choice of clothing fall into freedom of expression?
- Have you witnessed harassment based on someone’s clothing style?