In an inspiring show of confidence and defiance, 15-year-old Mia Thompson from Australia delivered a powerful speech to her peers after attending a school assembly that addressed the length of girls’ skirts. During the assembly, school officials told the female students that rolling their skirts up would reflect a lack of self-respect, claiming that showing more leg was distracting for their male classmates. Cue the dramatic eye roll!
How many times do we have to see girls and women objectified while facing double standards in dress codes? Instead of blaming the girls for their attire, how about we teach the boys to keep their eyes to themselves and stop sexualizing young women? Shouldn’t we focus on the real issue: discussing girls’ bodies in any context at all?
Mia wasn’t about to let this nonsense slide. In her viral YouTube video, she declared, “I have self-respect, I take care of myself. You can’t dictate what self-respect is, and you definitely can’t tell me what it means to be ladylike.” She passionately added, “We don’t live in the ’50s anymore; I want equality, and I want to be able to show off my body without being sexualized.”
Her confidence is nothing short of empowering. She continued her passionate rant, asserting, “You don’t get to sexualize me or dictate what I can and cannot wear. It’s not a mystery that women have legs, knees, thighs, and yes, even vaginas.”
Mia’s message is crystal clear: women are not a novel concept. Our bodies are not new, and the way we choose to dress is for our own comfort and happiness—not for the pleasure of others. Wearing what we want doesn’t mean we’re inviting unwanted attention or harassment.
The assembly was reportedly a reaction to a scandal involving the sharing of explicit images of female students across 71 Australian schools, including Mia’s. This “porn ring” had led to the online distribution of over 2,000 graphic images of young girls, with some sites even featuring “wanted” lists that offered bounties for personal information about these students. Absolutely appalling.
In response to the assembly, Principal Mark Johnson stated that the discussion was about the school’s existing uniform policy and that the online exploitation of girls was a separate issue. Right…
We’re grateful for strong voices like Mia’s in the next generation. Perhaps change is on the horizon. “I want these girls to grow up in a world where they can be who they truly are without feeling pressured to conform,” she said. “They should feel free to express themselves however they wish.”
This article was originally published on Aug. 26, 2016.
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In summary, Mia Thompson’s powerful speech against her school’s sexist dress code policy challenges the outdated notions surrounding female bodies and self-expression, advocating for equality and respect. Her message is a call to action for young women everywhere to embrace their individuality without fear of judgment or objectification.