MoE reviewing rules preventing girls from rocking ‘afros, curly, kinky hair styles

Mar 04, 2022 News

– designate March 8 ‘hair freedom day’

Kaieteur News – Following intense debate on social media regarding rules that prevent school children from letting their hair down and sport other styles such as ‘Afros’, the Ministry of Education said that it is currently examining the rules, which prevent this.

Hon. Minister of Education Priya Manickchand

This announcement comes amid public pushback following a decision by the ministry to allow school girls and female teachers to sport the hairstyle of their choice on March 8, which is designated International Women’s Day. The public reacted immediately to this waiver of the rules, saying that this should be a permanent decision. But the ministry cautioned: “Until school rules change, and we are examining some of those with a view to making practical changes, styles should not include permanent or semi-permanent changes that would breach said rules the day after this celebration.”
The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow with campaign theme being #BreakTheBias”. In a statement the ministry said #BreakTheBias is fitting because the day is also one of action where women and conscious men come together as a global community to advocate for gender equality.
“In today’s world where women and girls are more active than ever in leadership, innovation and tearing down barriers, there is still a silent stronghold of prejudice that exists, one that seems so innocuous since we all have it, but once weaponised divides from within and is used as a form of social control. The head of hair, the gendered female is born with, has become a symbol of status and achievement, ease of social acceptance, beauty or lack thereof. Curly, kinky, wavy, or straight, too short, too long, too thick, too thin; there is always a socially derived mechanism around our hair consciously and unconsciously to sift and sort us as women and girls into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ or ‘acceptable’ and not a tool used to further distract from activating our power,” the statement read.
According to the statement, each and every girl and woman is unique and deserves to celebrate their individualism. “The stronger the individual girl, the stronger the group to which she belongs or the country in which she lives. One of those acts of self-expression is how she chooses to wear her hair.”
As such the Ministry of Education said part of its plans to observe International Women’s Day 2022, is to allow female teachers and pupils across the country to celebrate hair freedom on this day by relaxing rules around what are considered “acceptable” hairstyle choices. “On that day, girls can come to school wearing their loose unsecured hair, afros, braids, curls, whatever style, if any, that makes them feel most beautiful and confident and purposeful. Until school rules change and we are examining some of those with a view to making practical changes, styles should not include permanent or semi-permanent changes that would breach said rules the day after this celebration. On March 8, let your hair down and out, express yourself, talk about women’s day and all the benefits of gender equality and what you think you can do to help break the bias. Strike the pose and tag us in your photos. We want to see how you celebrate you and other girls.”

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