Aylin and Mae, both age 15, are members of their school’s Little Feminist Book Club in Bicester, Oxfordshire, England.
During a group discussion, the club learned that teenagers at other schools were trying to have the sale of school uniforms banned in sex shops.
Schoolgirl costumes are also widely used in pornographic videos.
“All of us unanimously agreed. We wanted to take it a step further; we wanted to ban school uniform from all pornography,” Aylin told DW. As a result, they started a petition to raise awareness of the issue.
Many of their fellow students, as the petition states, have already had unpleasant experiences while wearing their uniforms. Some reported being harassed as early as the age of 11. Many of these experiences had left them feeling frightened, ashamed and insecure. “I don’t wear my school uniform outside of school,” said Mae. “I don’t like wearing it out.”
One in three schoolgirls reports harassment
In their petition, the girls also refer to a 2018 report by the charity Plan International. According to a survey in the report, 35% of the 1,004 respondents aged 14 to 21 had experienced unwanted sexual attention while wearing a school uniform. Eight percent said they had been filmed or photographed by a stranger without their permission, or that someone had taken a photo under their school skirt, known as “upskirting.”
“Something that should actually be innocent, something that is supposed to symbolize a community, has now become discredited in society,” says Mae. “And our perception of what a school uniform represents has been distorted by this disgusting media.”
School uniforms often mandatory
School uniforms are common in many countries around the world. They are meant to make class and financial divides less visible, which is also supposed to prevent bullying while strengthening a community feeling.
In the UK, uniforms are mandatory at almost all schools and preschools, which means essentially all children between the ages of 4 to 16 wear them.
Outside school, children have no way to escape unwanted attention.
“We just want to prevent people from thinking about children and school uniforms in that way,” says Mae. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to actually turn the ban into legislation.”
Until that happens, they still have a long way to go, but the girls are optimistic. As of October 5, 2026, the petition has garnered more than 24,000 signatures. Thanks to an article in the English newspaper The Times, it’s also gotten plenty of attention.
Now, Mae and Aylin hope to get parliament to debate the issue. Two MPs have already voiced their support.
But the girls also know some people believe longer skirts are the solution. “I believe that’s wrong,” explains Aylin. “We shouldn’t blame the victims. We should blame those who think it is acceptable to sexualize them.”
This article was originally written in German.