If men can walk around topless because of the heat, should women do the same?
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- This week, teen readers share their opinions on this divisive topic of gender equality and privacy
If men can go topless, why can't women do it too?In theory, girls have the right to go around topless, but that doesn’t happen in real life. Most girls don’t like to show off their bodies, especially their breasts, in public because they feel insecure and they would probably be harassed.
Tina Fang, 15
If all women joined the fight for the right to be topless, then they would be able to do it freely. If men can do it, why can’t women? If women decide to go topless in public, some men will definitely stare at them and target them, both verbally and physically. If women are willing to take these risks, they have definitely earned the right to be topless. Good luck!
Husnain Amina Riaz, 15
Women’s bodies are different. Since the Stone Age, a woman who does not wear any clothes has been considered morally bad. It is a traditional concept. Although people are more open-minded now, they still do not accept topless women.
I cannot imagine my mum or girlfriend being topless in public and being stared at by men. I know it is unfair that men can be topless when they exercise while women can’t, even though they are sweating a lot. I guess they’ll understand because they wouldn’t want their photos to be posted on social media or pornographic websites. Well, that’s life!
Vincent Leong Tsz-ho, 15
Women should not be able to walk around topless, because their bodies are different from men’s. It is dangerous for women to expose themselves too much, because they could be insulted or laughed at or even suffer physical violence. So wearing normal clothes can prevent these things from happening.
Cathy Lam, 16
It depends. Women being topless may be accepted in some parts of Europe and North America. But in most places, especially Muslim countries, women have to follow a certain dress code or they could end up in jail. Anyways, if going topless in public is legal and does no harm to others, we should not judge women by our own standards. We should let them do what they want.
Dylan Chen, 17
Women should not be allowed to walk around topless because they will be targeted by bad people. Also, males who support topless women are not doing it for so-called social justice; they are morally bad and want to take advantage of the situation. I don’t think there will ever be a day when women can walk around topless because it is too hot outside.
Lau Wai-ki, 15
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First of all, why can boys go out topless, while girls have to worry? There is a movement (“Free the nipple”) that aims to desexualise women’s bodies, including their nipples. If men support it, that’s great. But it shouldn’t be because they want to look at women’s breasts. That’s not real support.
Second, a woman who doesn’t wear clothes would be afraid of being stared at, pointed at, and blamed for any harm she faces. So, in such an environment, do women really have the freedom to go out without wearing a shirt? At least in East Asian countries, it is still “abnormal” for women to go out without underwear. Many idols were attacked because they didn’t wear underwear, and ordinary women might feel even more scared. After all, it is one thing for individuals to want freedom, but another for society’s perspective to change.
Therefore, the current “breast liberation” movement is more to remind men who like to look at women with wretched eyes: women do not wear underwear to go out for their comfort. Not to attract men’s attention, or “seduce” them to strike up a conversation.
Discussing this does not mean that everyone must put aside their worries and fight without wearing a shirt. But I want to remind everyone that girls dressing to avoid overheating is never a reason for being violated. We can choose to continue wearing what we want or not, but we should not use mean slut-shaming to attack others. Many women have been sexually assaulted even when they wore conservative clothing. The root cause of sexual assault is the evil of sexual assault, not what women wear. So, I think women should be able to go topless because of heat without other people commenting.
Chi Monson, 13
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Women’s and men’s body parts are fundamentally different. Women need to wear a bra when going out, but men don’t need it. This is also the reason why men can be unscrupulous and half-naked without being stopped. In addition, this society always judges women more harshly, and no one cares if men don’t wear clothes. On the contrary, if women dress sexy, they will be accused of lewdness and impropriety. It is not only their body parts that prevents women from going out half-naked, but also the harshness of society towards women.
Kary Kwok, 13
In ancient China, women had to be traditional and conservative. This explains why women were not allowed to wear revealing clothes.They were meant to feel shame about their bodies and were not supposed to let others see it. Now, however, times have changed. Women have the right to do what they want. We should have gender equality.
First, when they are walking around topless, women can express themselves and feel comfortable in hot weather – on the condition that people won’t comment on them. Women have to be confident in doing the things they like. If men can do the something without judgement, so can women.
Second, some countries have the problem of gender discrimination because of history, tradition, and bias. If women are able to walk around topless when they feel hot, the status of women in the society will be improved. It will raises the public’s awareness of women’s rights. The society could be changed.
Lo Sze-yau, 16
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Although nowadays society promotes freedom and equality, it is better for women not to walk around topless because they may be criticised by others. Although society is evolving and the mindsets of people are more open now, there are people who still have the traditional, old-school mindset that women should not wear clothes with such little fabric. These people will comment that those women walking around topless are damaging the morality of the society.
But even without those people, men cannot stop themselves from looking at topless women. If women are not afraid or do not care about all the uncomfortable staring on the street, then they can walk around topless without any problem. But I don’t think that the majority of women can withstand this.
Lastly, if women are really hot, they should try wearing a sports bra or going to the beach and wearing a bikini. This way, they won’t be arrested, and they may feel cooler in the hot weather.
Alan Ong Chak-min, 17
Although everyone has the freedom to choose what clothes they wear, it should not affect others. If a woman walks around topless, it will cause confusion. And it is illegal for a woman to walk around topless in Hong Kong. The reason for this law is to protect women’s privacy. We should abide by the law even if it is too hot. And now, there are many thin, cooling fabrics in women’s clothing.
Cynthia Lam, 13
This the freedom should belong to all of us. If men can be topless, why not women? If this was allowed, then women can choose to be topless or not because this action isn’t saying that everyone must be topless. Other people shouldn’t comment on our freedom to dress how we want. Of course, this may shock people, and we can’t control other people’s words. But we should respect other’s decisions and feelings.
Sherman Choi, 14
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