Women, fashion and law of indecent exposure

As the days go by, fashion takes another dimension and has evolved to a level where less clothing is the norm and parts of the woman body that used to be regarded as private are now seen as normal body parts that are exposed by trending designs for females.

This has led to people wondering how nudity became fashion and less is now more. Indeed, many have asked where to draw the line in terms of boldness, being fashionable and being downright indecently dressed.

And while arguments abound on the issue, there is an area that many have not considered. What does the law say about indecent exposure? While everyone has a right to wear what they want, the law draws a line on what can be termed decent in terms of dressing.

This is where indecent exposure comes in. What is indecent exposure and what does the law say about it? Section 26 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act makes provisions for indecent exposure. It states that

(1) A person who intentionally exposes his or her genital organs, or a substantial part thereof, with the intention of causing distress to the other party or that another person seeing it may be tempted or induced to commit an offence under this Act, commits an offence termed “indecent exposure”.

(2) A person who intentionally exposes his or her genital organs or a substantial part thereof, and induces another to either massage, or touch with the intention of deriving sexual pleasure from such acts, commits an offence under this section.

(3) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable to upon conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than one year or to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or both.

The question thus will be, can the woman’s breast be considered a private part and what parts of the body can be considered private to prove indecent dressing?

The VAPP Act has answered the question of whether it is a crime in Nigeria to actually dress in a manner termed as indecent, though this is largely subjective.

Many define indecent dressing and exposure as the act of wearing clothes which reveal certain parts of the body that should be covered up. Others may define it as putting on clothes that are too short or too revealing.

And while decency or lack of it in a clothing is subjective and largely based on perspectives, the angle of the law cannot be overlooked. This may be the reason people are profiled by law enforcement officers and are allegedly harassed on the road.

No one knows when or who may want to enforce the law, so when next a cloth is to be designed, consider the law of indecent exposure.

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