IN A STATE like ours, where religious are practiced and the Lord is expected to be fear, especially when there are thoughts about ungodly things, it’s becoming clearer to understand that something seems not to be right.
CHARACTERIZING IT AS ‘wrong’, could be an understatement, because things are literately not right with our young ladies, especially an environment where women are still striving to secure a space, and escaping the box of discrimination, where they have long been kept.
Disturbingly, a lot of young women seem to be undermining all of these through their repeated involvement in acts that continue to suppress women’s dignity.
Just as we believe that the voices of women should be heard, we are also skeptical about abusing this ideology, whether through the embracement of wrongful acts or giving blind eyes to wrongs committed by women.
HOWEVER, it has come to our attention that over the last 13 months, scores of young Liberian women have found pleasure in misusing various social media platforms to display sensitive parts of their bodies for reasons best known to themselves.
WE SEE THE REPEATED OCCURRENCES OF THIS ACT AS A TOTAL DISRESPECT FOR WOMANHOOD AND AN UNUSUAL PROMOTION OF WOMEN’S DIGNITUDE AND PRIVACY.
On July 26, 2022, some (a huge number of) social media users (Facebook and Instagram) came across denigrating photo shoots from several young Liberian women, which were hugely criticized and condemned after they surfaced on the internet for almost a week.
As it was portrayed at the beginning and middle of last year without a critical stand being taken by the legal authorities, we saw more annoying and denigrating instances of this act during the Christmas celebration.
On December 25, 2022, more disturbing images surfaced in the media, which were way more disrespectful than the ones that were uploaded during the Independence Day celebrations in July 2022.
THE IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE ONLY BEEN BACKLAWLED AND CRITICIZED, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS INSUFFICIENT, AS THEY HAVE REACTED TO THE CRITICISM WITH PLEASURE.
AS IT HAS provided undue relevance for those that have been involved in it of late, we believe if it is not confronted in line with the law, other young ladies will also see it as a swift way of building their brands, or gaining popularity.
WE BELIEVE THAT IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS ACT, IT HAS THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF OTHER WEAK-MINDED YOUNG FOLKS TO IT AND SOMETHING MORE EMBARASSING.
Though we are in a technological space where anyone can access anything they desire to see through the means of the internet, we think we should protect our little space to avoid young folks from ignorantly seeing it as a way of life.
WE BELIEVE THAT IF NOTHING IS DONE, WE SHOULD EXPECT MORE, because the audacity will be imposed on other young women who are under the impression that nothing will be done by higher authority.
We believe that the recent act by young women is capable of creating an environment for the establishment of the pornographic industry in Liberia, which we know won’t be healthy for Liberia, especially a state like ours.
Also, as an institution that believes in lifting women’s voices, we believe that act has the propensity to undermine the fight for a safe and better space for women and girls in Liberia.
These and many other effects that weren’t highlighted here are the possible ways that the rapid increase in the ignorant and pornographic advertisement of sensitive parts of women’s bodies can affect our society.
With the nature of the above-listed concern, we are calling on the Liberia National Police and other relevant security forces to take note and ensure that the needful is done in accordance with the law.
WE RECOMMEND that the Panel Law on Nudity be strictly enforced.
