After attacks by mobs of men, Kenyan women march for right to wear mini-skirts

NAIROBI, Kenya – Nearly 1,000 people have marched through the streets of Kenya’s capital to protest a recent rash of attacks by mobs of men on women who have been deemed too provocatively dressed.

Mobile phone videos show the attackers stripping the women naked. In response, the phrase #MyDressMyChoice is trending in Kenya’s social media, as this country works through a clash between new, Western lifestyles and traditional African ways.

Rachel Machua wore what she called “a little black dress … my normal outfit” to Monday’s protest. She views the attacks as being by lower income men jealous of successful, well-dressed women.

Women play an active role in Kenyan society though few hold high-ranking elected office. Parliament is a virtual men’s club, unlike in nearby Rwanda, where half of parliament is female.