Following Chechnya and Dagestan, North Ossetia disputes around clothing

The “Khotæ” (Sisters) movement urges to stop the harassment of Irina Makoeva, the leader of the North-Ossetian Women’s Committee, provoked by her call on young women to give up miniskirts and ripped jeans. Residents of Vladikavkaz told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent about their attitude to the initiative of the North-Ossetian Women’s Committee.

Dzera, a student of the art school, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that she had repeatedly faced prejudice against herself because of her unusual appearance.

“We live not in the Stone Age now, and everyone can decide for himself or herself how to dress and how to look. Ossetians and people around me treat me very badly. People in Vladikavkaz don’t like me. But I don’t care, because we live only once,” the student told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

In turn, Arthur, a 31-year-old locksmith from Vladikavkaz, says that he does not accept, in his opinion, too provocative outfits of Ossetian young women and that he still has not found a bride for himself because of the above. The man believes that lessons, proposed by the North-Ossetian Women’s Committee, are badly needed by educational institutions.

The “Khotæ” (Sisters) movement, in turn, stood up for Irina Makoeva in connection with the wide public outcry triggered by her statement. “Unfortunately, even among our audience there were people who could not resist voicing dirty words. And if you look into other public accounts on the internet, then you cannot call the reaction to the Irina Makoeva’s remarks other than the unrestrained harassment. <...> We are against violence and harassment, and now it turns out that after all that has been said, we need to defend Irina,” the “Khotæ” movement wrote on its Instagram page on June 19.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 21, 2021 at 05:30 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.