Author Archives: Amy Blain

‘You can’t wear that!’: Street Harassment, Victim-Blaming, and Policing Girls’ Uniforms

By Blog, Opinion, ,

This collaborative piece was born out of the very first meeting between It’s Not a Compliment (INAC) and Girls’ Uniform Agenda. Connecting the dots between the policing of girls’ school uniforms, and street harassment, we explore how children are taught to accept cultures of victim-blaming and inequality from a young age. In this piece, Amy Blain, the Director and ACT Representative of GUA, works alongside INAC’s Community Liaison Officer and GUA Supporter, Alex Lee, to

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Uniform Shop Conversations: Dresses for Girls

By Blog, Opinion, , ,

I was buying more shorts for my little one and speaking to another Kindy parent whilst waiting in line at the uniform shop. Our conversation was a reminder of just how strongly ingrained in school cultures it is for girls to wear skirts and dresses.  It went like this: Mum:  I wish Aisha* would wear shorts and a top to school.  All she’ll wear is the skort and top. Me: Yes, I don’t see the

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**WARNING** Long List of Excuses For Refusing Girls Choice of Pants & Shorts

By Blog

As 2019 takes off, we’re all still thinking about whether we should make new year’s resolutions and what the year ahead holds.  Here’s a reminder of the reasons we’ve heard for refusing girls the choice of pants and shorts.  If you’ve been thinking about doing something, or been put-off by your school, get in touch and get connected to your state rep.  If you’ve had a success, make sure you let us know, you can

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Schools Ban Pants and Shorts for Girls

By Blog, Opinion

Said no headline ever. Requiring girls to wear dresses and skirts, with no other options, is a ban on shorts and pants.   We see Australian headlines of schools banning skirts and dresses; and the absolute outrage in the UK following the decision of 40 secondary schools to ban skirts.  We don’t see headlines of the shorts and pants ban for girls.  Yet, girls still can’t wear shorts and pants in schools across Australia, in

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The Long and Skort of it

By Blog, , , , ,

Skorts are not shorts; culottes are not pants.  Seems obvious, but some schools still resist offering the more practical, affordable and comfortable shorts and pants options for girls.  The perfect uniform choices for boys are somehow unsuitable for girls.  Let’s face it – the skort and culottes are often preferred by schools because they look like skirts.  They often do look like a skirt, and are only slightly more functional.  They can be flimsy, floppy

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Alumniati: Former Students Call for Pants & Shorts for Girls

By Blog, , ,

We hear school alumni can strongly resist uniform change; preferring the skirt and dress-wearing traditions ‘of their day’.  Peter however, shows how the school alumni can be a powerful force for change.  Having battled his daughter’s school in the ACT for girls to be able to wear pants, Peter turned his attention to a different state altogether, to his former school.  Seeing that his old school didn’t offer pants and shorts for girls, he asked

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Girls Have A Right to Education Free From Discrimination

By Blog, Case Studies, , , ,

One parent’s fight, backed by the Anti-Discrimination Board, for her daughters’ rights to have the choice of wearing shorts and pants to school.  Missy M’s three daughters were very cold and uncomfortable in their dress uniform.  So, Missy asked the school principal if shorts and long pants for girls could be added to the uniform list.  Missy tells her story below: “She [the principal] said no, just like that, a straight, flat out no! I then

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