A female reporter was kicked out of the House floor and barred entry due to wearing a sleeveless dress.
The Chamber's sergeant at arms found her outfit to be inappropriate and against a decades-old dress code. This isn’t the first time this has happened to a female on the House floor. Since women have entered the professional workforce something that previously had been denied them, their attire has been under scrutiny. It seems that our society is always finding ways of holding women back, and singling them out.
As a woman headed for a career in reporting, this news leaves me baffled and angered.
This woman, who worked very hard to get to where she is, was denied access to an event she was well qualified to attend due to her choices in attire.
Representative Martha McSally even pointed out the ridiculous judgment by pointing out the dress she was wearing to address her fellow representatives was sleeveless and deemed professional. So what is it that makes it okay to tell another woman that she may not do her job, one she rightfully earned, because her dress has no sleeves on it.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has made a vow to "modernize" the dress code, which really makes no promise to actually put into effect any change.
While sleeveless dresses might now be permitted, his idea of allowing more contemporary business attire does not ensure that women will be able to be secure in gaining access to press conferences with the business attire that they show up in.
When it’s always been a man’s world, women already have to fight twice as hard to get a foot in the door. As a young woman, I know the struggle of working just as hard as those around me only to get half of the recognition or pay.
So when I am also told that I have to be held to stricter more demanding dress codes, it can seem even more discouraging and outrageous.
From a young age, I have always been told to wear longer skirts, higher necklines, loose fitting shirts, anything that doesn't seem inappropriate or gets me unwanted attention.
As a society, the focus is always on us as women to downplay ourselves.
It’s is even at the point that we are now unable to do our jobs because someone can see our shoulders. This behavior is what promotes rape culture, and body shaming.
It’s what teaches a little girl that she’s not good enough. It robs her of her confidence. These types of ridiculous laws and the fact that it has taken all this commotion to start the wheels of change are exactly why we still have so far to go in this country.
Paul Ryan will have to show that he is going to put his money where his mouth is in a big way if women are going to feel accomplished and accepted into this society, something I am not holding out hope for the overly conservative politician.
Ryan has shown in past circumstances his disrespect for women and gives only a glimmer of hope for actually creating a brighter future. Do I wish for a time in my career where I won’t be turning on the news to events like this?
Absolutely, however, I am not going to hold my breath because it will probably take so long I’ll turn blue.
