Female pupils in Japan cannot wear their hair in ponytails.
A school in Japan has banned ponytails.
The school believes the hairstyle can make male students “sexually excited. Because of this they’ve decided to stop female students from styling their hair this way.
The shocking new rule has understandably been hit with backlash.
Why are young women being forced to change when the problem here is clearly the boys?
Not only are girls not allowed to wear their hair in a ponytail, but the school also tells them what colour underwear is acceptable.
According to a former teacher, girls are only allowed to wear white underwear.
Speaking to Vice, a former teacher at the school explained the controversial decision.
Motoki Sugiyama said, “They’re worried boys will look at girls, which is similar to the reasoning behind upholding a white-only underwear color rule.”
“I’ve always criticised these rules, but because there’s such a lack of criticism and it’s become so normalised, students have no choice but to accept them.”
The teacher worked in multiple schools in the Shizuoka area and said all schools impose these rules.
People have slated the rules because they make girls feel like it is acceptable to police their bodies.
“Sexuality becomes not something that belongs to the individual, but an item or thing that can be controlled,” the teacher added.
Why is there always so much focus on what female pupils look like?
Even in Irish schools, there are strict rules on everything from nail polish to what shoes they were.
Wouldn’t it be better to focus on educating our kids?
These rules only add to the societal pressures women face.
They also make them feel like their appearance is more important than their education.
