Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda Chronicle Reporter
NOBHEKIMPILO Vivica Mbobora has always been a rebel, when she turned 18, she started showing the patriarchal society the middle finger by dressing up in clothes that leave little to the imagination and she dropped out of university when she was in Part 1 to make a living selling clothes, jewellery and phones.
She calls it body positivity and embracing her flaws through dress. Many have frowned upon her style of dress, but she is not moved. She does not care what people say or think as she believes her dress code defines her.
The 22-year-old from Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb says she does not dress to provoke anyone but to please herself.
“I just like the way I dress, I am not even dressing for some sort of movement. I like wearing short clothes and I am comfortable in them just like how other people are comfortable wearing whatever they want.
“I have faced a lot of judging eyes, verbal abuse and shaming because of the way I dress. Sadly, it is not only the men that do that but also women who cringe and show me all the negativity,” said the former National University of Science and Technology (Nust) student.
Vivica is not surprised that her dressing has been met with strong disapproval by a society that is big on morals and values.
“To be honest, the country is under a patriarchal system and even if the Government is advocating women and their rights, the way society thinks is still patriarchal.
Women in society still think that whatever they wear is for men and on the other hand men think that what they see women wearing belongs to them or it is for their eyes,” said Vivica.
She described the dress code recently introduced by the Bulawayo Polytechnic College as “unfair”.
Vivica said the institution is going backwards by infringing on the rights of students. Asked if she fears being raped because of her seductive and provocative dressing, Vivica said men who rape are not influenced by the way women dress but by their own screwed mental state.
“My main thrust is that I am not saying that people should wear short and revealing clothes but they should have the freedom to wear what they are comfortable in without being judged or criticised.
Society ought to change narratives and the boy child should grow up and be taught that he is not entitled to a woman’s body.
“If societies only respect women wearing long clothes, then it means they are respecting the clothes and not the person.
Otherwise, we have women being raped and seducing men and doing all sorts of wrong things in long dresses,” said Vivica.–@ReeSibanda
Online Reporter