Thursday, June 24, 2004
skirts
Sorry I haven't written recently... Work hasn't really been anything yet, so I don't have anything to report there. But be assured that I am still learning and growing! Malawi is already teaching me a lot.
But... the interesting news item of the week in Malawi has to do with skirts. When Banda, the dictator, was in power here, women were not allowed to wear pants. That was lifted when he left in 1994, but most Malawian women still don't wear pants. You really only see pants in the cities, and shorts only on the beaches. So... President Bingu, who was recently elected, said a few days ago that he was going to reinstate the pants law. Trouble. But then I saw someone - a Malawian - at work today wearing pants, and apparently the president has retracted his statement; women can wear whatever they want. I still don't think I'm going to wear pants, but pretty interesting that it's still an issue here.
But... the interesting news item of the week in Malawi has to do with skirts. When Banda, the dictator, was in power here, women were not allowed to wear pants. That was lifted when he left in 1994, but most Malawian women still don't wear pants. You really only see pants in the cities, and shorts only on the beaches. So... President Bingu, who was recently elected, said a few days ago that he was going to reinstate the pants law. Trouble. But then I saw someone - a Malawian - at work today wearing pants, and apparently the president has retracted his statement; women can wear whatever they want. I still don't think I'm going to wear pants, but pretty interesting that it's still an issue here.
