By Agatha Emeadi
Do you remember the annual reed dance, which South Africa’s maidens from the Zulu tribe engage in, to show that they have come of age?
To participate in the reed dance, the maidens go completely topless, with the glory of their chest region on full display. They adorn themselves with beautifully designed traditional ornaments that are draped from the neck.
The reed dance is a highly cherished event. Maidens take great pride in the money, time and effort they invest to prepare for it. They form troupes with uniform costumes and footwear. It has also become a tourist attraction. Press photographers throng the event to take comparative shots of the displayed breasts, outfits and dance routines.
Back in Nigeria, a growing number of ladies among the GenZ and Millennials have adopted a backdoor way of engaging in their own reed dance. They walk the streets without bra. Under their blouses or other tops, they set their breasts free, to bounce and ‘dance’ as they walk, whether strolling in the neighbourhood, going to the markets, in the banks, in school environments or even going some distance to keep appointments far from home.
This quasi-nudity is fast gaining ground. Many are offended by the new rave and are pushing back too. On the other hand, men who like to ogle bra-less ladies secretly love the free show. Many years ago, the crazy boys of Ajegunle, a part of Lagos metropolis where the poor-to- lower-middle income populace live, dubbed this kind of display as “oshowfree” which translates to free show. At the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye in Ogun State, a mild drama played out recently when the authorities of the institution moved to end the undesirable oshowfree practice among some of its female students by implementing a “No Bra, No Entry” policy into the exam hall. The intention was to cut the head of the baby snake called bra-free life on the campus before it could grow into a python that would swallow all decent dressing in the institution. A video footage posted on social media handles showed some female students on a queue, who were physically examined for improper dressing by female security staff before being allowed into examination hall. The security staff patted the ladies in the chest region to ascertain whether they were wearing bra or not. A number of the affected students protested against the bra check and uploaded the protest videos on various online platforms, and they went viral. The females felt the policy infringed on their rights and caused them embarrassment.
Why are young and not-so-young females caught up in the nipples display rave? A chance meeting with 19-year-old Angel Ugbonwonke, a student in one of the federal institutions in the South East, provided an insight.
The teenager came to the bus terminal at Ejigbo, to see off some family members early in the morning. As sat waiting for the boarding and pre-departure formalities to be completed, a cursory glance at her chest region showed the outlines her medium-sized breasts, which moved freely under her round neck tee-shirt made with light weight cotton material. It was very evident that she was not wearing bra because her obviously firm nipples clearly pushed up the fabric at the particular points of contact. Ugbonwonke was fully at peace with herself and the freedom she had given her boobs to jiggle and bounce without a care in the world. But that changed a bit when the Sunday Sun reporter gently engaged her in a conversation, chatting about the bus company. While walking out of the terminal together, after bidding the travelers farewell, Sunday Sun asked with an even tone: “You came out this early morning without bra?” The braless beauty got a bit shy and tried to cover her chest with her crossed hands, and then said: “Aunty, abeg I no get the power. Bra is a bit uncomfortable.” Power to wear bra or what, the reporter probed further. “It is freer and more comfortable without bra,” she said with what could be interpreted as deep conviction.
At the medium traffic Ejigbo market, just off the popular Iyana-Ejigbo junction that leads to the palace of the monarch of the community, young, witty Susan Ebi (real name concealed) casually walked to the stall of a fish seller. In a jocular manner, she accused the woman selling fish of cheating her husband the last she couldn’t come to the market herself. One glance at her immediately showed that she had no bra under top.
This exchanged ensued.
‘Are you married?’
“Yes.”
‘And you came to the market with bra?
She bent her head and took a quick look at her boobs in a manner that conveyed the message that being without bra was not disturbing her peace. Looking up, she said: “Does it matter? My house is not far from the market.”
Just then a young man walked past, wearing only singlet and shorts. Susan drew my attention to him and suggested I should ask him why he was not properly dressed. I sensed rudeness because she referred to the reporter as ‘old school.’
Sometime last year, an On Air Personality (OAP) during a morning talk show accused most girls who visit big popular supermarkets in Lekki of purposely going to such place without bra. She said: “Most girls who come to the mall come there without bra. You will see them walk towards the racks with male accessories. They will not buy anything. Rather they will look for a man to ask which product is better and why, thereby engaging them in discussions. They only come around to look for hook-up. They don’t wear bra, to enable them get and hold the attention of the men while trying to get their contact and set up a place to meet.
Two Nollywood legends, Ngozi Ezeonu and Kate Henshaw recalled having to fiercely caution some ladies who came for audition without bra. Ezeonu was seen in a viral video reprimanding the ladies: “If you know you will not wear bra and come for audition, stay in your house. Audition is a professional thing and should be treated with respect, including appropriate dressing.
Similarly, Kate Henshaw condemned the growing lack of respect for the profession, saying, “Dressing for an audition should be different from dressing for a mere stroll, shop or even night club.” She highlighted the importance of home training and role of senior colleagues in setting standards, adding: “A profession that has legendary names would not be dragged to the mud.”
Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Prof. Franca Attoh, whose specialization is Criminology, in a WhatsApp chat, opined that the emerging trend is one of the challenges of globalization. “When we try to import other people’s culture without taking into context our own cultural expectations, I find that often times, the things people watch in movies and try to translate them into reality without realizing that thosex.
One of the places where they copy all these are from the Chinese movies. It is not that the Chinese ladies do not wear bra, but they are not as heavily endowed at the upper chamber like the Africans who are richly endowed. Often times, they might wear inner wear that holds their breasts together, but people see it as fashion.”
Attoh added: “Those who indulge and dress in such manner either want to orchestrate their hook-up business. One then asks, is it not abomination for one to expose her body carelessly. They will call themselves GenZs and these are almost what their mates do all over the world.”
She, therefore, applauded some schools that are bringing out policies. “Some universities call it dress code. This is also a deviant behaviour that is not expected of a normal citizen in the society. Of course students of tertiary institutions, mostly in the age bracket 16-20, see the universities as places to express freedom away from the strictures of secondary schools. With the enforcement of the right policies by school authorities, over time the braless ladies will know it is deviant conduct. Irrespective of one’s religion, the African culture requires both men and woman to cover up their bodies responsibly.
“We sociologists can also see it from the point of globalization, that maybe the ladies who are involved in these may come from homes where they were not properly socialized into the norms and values of their society. There is a different perspective one can look at like a dysfunctional home where socialization went awry at a point. To me, it has not become a social problem because for a sociologist to call an issue a social problem, one must have a significant number of people involved.
“Regarding what happened at Olabisi Onabajo University, Ago Iwoye, I personally thought that these should have been part of the orientation process. They left it for too long. An undergraduate is taken through an orientation period to know the do’s and dont’s of the institution. Part of the orientation will definitely touch on dressing for students. Then, from to time, awareness creation will be organised to reinforce the expectations. Most of the victims might not outright be bad students, but want to be part of the trend. But when they are properly educated, most of them will fall into line.”
Interestingly, another female professor, a communicator from same school, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that three factors are responsible for the new rave of going out without wearing bra. She said: “Though I am not an advocate for ladies not wearing bra, but these ladies in question are adults who are free to choose any lifestyle. Most of us might be talking from the background of morality and decency. Are authorities arresting them? If not not, then they did not contravene the laws of the land. It is an ethical issue because beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. That it looks indecent to one does not mean it is indecent for others. In communication, there are socializing institutions such as places of worship, home and school. So, people who come from homes where these things do not matter will meet their Waterloo at various places of work. Corporate organisations will definitely shape them.
“When we were growing up, our mothers never allowed us to be indecent in appearance. While running or riding bicycle even for sports ladies, they have all the kits that keep them decent when they appear on the field.”
She also noted that this is the era of globalization where everyone is watching foreign television stations and seeing what is happening, and which people regard as freedom and exercise of fundamental human rights, querying, “Is there any provision in the constitution that says ladies cannot move without bra?”
She explained that some ladies may argue that based on health grounds, they find it difficult to wear brassieres because the metal underneath the bra-cup which holds it in place and makes it firm can lead to lumps and other health challenges. Some broken or rusted iron can cause physical injuries too. In fact they are canvassing freedom of the breast as well, stressing that the bra stiffly prevents the free movement of the breasts like other parts of the body.
Medical professional at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Dr. Chioma Ekeh, disagreed with the female proponents of braless living: “A bra can only cause physical injury when the iron pierces the material of the brassiere and makes contact with the skin. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong in wearing iron-laced brassiere. Ladies who do not want to wear is a matter of personal lifestyle and choice. Bra does not cause any health challenge.”
Again, Unilag professor and communication specialist chimes in: “I have heard that it is time to discard the sanitary towel women use during their menstrual cycle. The allegation is that the chemical used for the production can cause cervical cancer. Therefore, they are proposing a return to the olden days of using cloth which can be washed clean, dried, ironed and reused. So, in all these are we going back to indigenous technical knowledge? If our great grandmothers did not wear bra and pant, why are we insisting that ladies should wear bra? History saw our great grandparents walk freely and peacefully without underwears. The question is: are we going back to our culture?” Ask Prof if she sees braless ladies among her students and she fires back this response: “Students do not come to my class or office indecently dressed; they know me. That life is in stages. Gone are the days of hot mini-skirt. Today is the day of braless tops. I only worry about the kind of values such ladies would give to their children and where the country is going.”
With obvious displeasure, she added: “Why are only the girls being demonized? Have we not seen boys who pierce their ears, wear earrings and plait their hair? I personally have encountered a man in his 60’s using an expensive foundation powder. What for? Therefore, the men who are patronizing these girls are also a huge problem. It is a whole societal issue.”
Dr. Charles Umeh, a clinical psychologist, concurred with the position of the Unilag professor, saying the issue is a very sensitive one. “Who defines indecency and what is among students. If a female student is asked not to colour her hair, she will say but men do colour their hair. Both genders wear ripped jeans. There are people who look like role models especially for people who have low self-esteem. They do not believe in themselves and want to get validation from physical appearance. Again, individuals with personality disorder want to be noticed. People who want to use seductiveness to attract unnecessary attention. So, to those people, decency has no place in their psyche. All they want to do is for one to notice them. Another important thing is the mass media. How do we discourage people who come out half-naked? Some models, entertainers, so-called celebrities and artistes should help the society. Those who dress in that insane manner also go back home and their parents see them and allow it. What about the boys who see them as plugs?
“In the 70s and 80s, what were the ideals for an attractive woman? Who wants to acquire a woman that goes about naked? Why do you think men leave the skimpily dressed ladies in town and go to the village to look for closed-up women and marry, then bring them to the city. Why do you think they do not marry them? Our values are being eroded on a daily basis and being sacrificed on the altar of indecency and we are not talking about it. When we eventually start talking about it there will be a paradigm shift.
Remarkably in 2012, a group of activists formed a global campaign group called ‘Free the Nipple’ to challenge public indecency laws in the United States which prevent women from exposing their nipples in public. The movement is a feminist campaign advocating for the normalization of female nipples in public spaces and challenging the double standard that allows men to expose their chests while women face censorship or legal repercussions for doing the same. It is rooted in the idea that laws criminalizing women exposing breasts are discriminatory and perpetuate a sexist view of female sexuality.
These and many more of civilization is what a priest described as irresponsible civilization and globalization. “As an ordained priest, I am not supposed to make public talks but if we are genuine Christians, no Christian lady who is properly brought up lady would dress indecently because she knows that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
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