In Algeria, a girl took a stand against her university’s tough dress code and began a “leg selfie” trend that inspired women everywhere.
An unnamed law student in Algeria was turned away from an exam at the University of Algier because her skirt was considered too short by a security guard standing outside of the college, according to Buzzfeed. The Law Faculty at Algier argued that the college required a “decent outfit,” denying allegations of gender discrimination.
In an interview with an Algerian newspaper, the Dean of the Law Faculty defended the security guard in question. “Wearing a short skirt is not authorized inside the university… It’s their job to uphold the rules of the faculty,” he said. “It requires a decent outfit, for both girls and boys.” He also called the incident “trivial.”
But some students, like Sophia Jama, did not see the situation as “trivial.” Jama, a classmate of the girl who was turned away from her exam, was enraged. She created a Facebook group to support the unnamed student, encouraging others to share photos of their bare legs in protest. The movement took on the name, “My dignity is not in the length of my skirt.” The group already has 15,000 followers who are uploading more and more photos every day to an album called “angry legs.”
Jama referenced a recent incident in France in which a Muslim school girl was told her skirt was actually too long. Jama described both cases as being “symptomatic of countries that have not settled their political and economic problems.” In an interview with France24, Jama said, “A woman’s body has become a battlefield in Algeria. If we keep silent, we women will lose a lot of what we have gained regarding our freedom in public places.”