Moderator: “European expansion brought new dress codes to the world. How did colonialism reshape attitudes toward nudity and identity?”

Responder: The arrival of European colonial powers marked a dramatic shift in cultural expressions of dress and nudity around the world. Missionaries and colonial authorities viewed traditional social nudity and Indigenous dress customs as incompatible with European morality, using clothing as a tool of religious conversion, social control and political dominance. The forced covering of bodies became a symbol of colonial authority and the broader imposition of monotheistic beliefs on diverse cultures.”

• Moderator: “What was the religious justification for enforcing dress codes?”

Responder: “Throughout the colonial period, Christian missionaries played a key role in enforcing European dress standards on Indigenous communities. In Africa, Pacific Islands and the Americas, missionaries sought to "civilise" local populations by replacing traditional clothing - or, in many cases, social nudity - with European garments. This imposition was often justified under religious doctrines that associated nakedness with sin and moral corruption.

In many cultures, dress codes were tied to climate, function and spiritual beliefs rather than modesty. Indigenous peoples, from Amazonian tribes to Polynesian islanders, had long used body paint, tattoos and ornamental dress to signify identity, status and ceremonial purpose. These traditions were increasingly suppressed, replaced with Western attire that signified submission to colonial authority.”

• Moderator: “How did forced covering affect Indigenous identity?”

Responder: “As colonial rule expanded, laws and policies systematically enforced European dress codes, particularly on women, whose bodies became battlegrounds for cultural control. In Africa, native garments and semi-nudity were discouraged or outright banned, reinforcing colonial narratives of racial and cultural superiority. In India, British colonisers viewed the sari and dhoti as backward, advocating for Westernised clothing as a sign of progress and social elevation.

In Americas, Indigenous tribes faced similar pressures. Boarding schools for Native American children in United States and Canada stripped students of their traditional attire, forcing them into Western-style uniforms as part of a broader campaign of assimilation. In Pacific Islands, where social nudity had been widely accepted, missionaries encouraged long dresses and Western-style shirts to align with their moral codes.”

• Moderator: “How was dress used as a colonial and political tool?”

Responder: "The suppression of traditional social nudity was not merely a cultural imposition - it was a deliberate strategy to enforce political and religious authority. Clothing became a tool for patriarchal dominance, reinforcing European social hierarchies and gender roles. By covering Indigenous bodies, colonial powers sought to erase pre-existing cultural identities and replace them with submissive subjects under European rule. Yet, despite centuries of enforcement, resistance to imposed dress codes persisted. In recent decades, movements for cultural revival have seen Indigenous communities reclaim traditional clothing and body adornments, challenging the legacy of colonialism and asserting their right to self-expression."