Woman brilliantly explains how school dress codes are inherently misogynistic

School dress codes have long been a controversial topic for a multitude of reasons. Openly sexist by nature, they are one of the most prominent ways in which society teaches young girls that their bodies are inherently sexual and that it is their responsibility to make sure their male counterparts are not "distracted" by it. Despite this being common knowledge, conservatives continue to uphold these rules in the name of so-called modesty. One TikTok user blew this notion out of the water recently when she elaborately laid out how dress codes are inherently misogynistic and pointed out the harmful message it perpetuates.

TikToker Chan — who goes by the username chan42911 on the video-sharing platform — shared her thoughts on the matter in response to another TikToker's query about things that are "incredibly misogynistic but everyone ignores and pretends like it’s normal." Chan's video, which was shared in January this year, has been viewed over 3.3 million times on the app so far. Here's what she says: 

"Dress code is one of the earliest symptoms of rape culture in America," Chan says in the video. "What is rape culture? It is victim blaming and blaming a woman for an assault that happens to her or other victims (It doesn't just happen to women)." She went on to explain how dress codes "at its core is grown adults sexualizing little girls" between the ages of seven and 17 and "blaming them for distracting male classmates."

"And if other people want to sexualize them, that's their fault as little girls and not the adults sexualizing them or the boys sexualizing them," Chan continues in the video. "So what happens to a little girl who wears shorts that are a little too short because it's all that she can afford? She is punished for it. She is told that it's her fault and she needs to change so that OTHER people don't sexualize her. This is instilling a victim blaming culture mindset not only on that little girl but every single person growing up in the education system in the United States (because it's the norm.)"

The call for finally ending the reign of outdated school dress codes has been steadily on the rise in the recent years. With a variety of unfair dress code-related incidents making headlines, it has shined a light on the sexist, homophobic, and racist undertones of these rules, forcing school officials to at least address these issues and update their guidelines accordingly.

As more and more youngsters raise their voices against such atrocities and spread awareness about the problematic roots of many things that are considered to be the norm, perhaps we will soon see some substantial changes in how society treats women.