Activist blasts critics of Shenseea’s ‘Dating Szn’

Sex educator and women's rights activist Shelly-Ann Weeks said the topic explored in Shenseea's new single Dating Szn is "nothing new" and there should be no double standard criticisms as men have been dating multiple partners for years.

"We all live in a world now where women and men are all approaching dating in a different way than our parents did, and, as such, the rules are not exactly the same. So the traditional rules that we claim that we have are only subjective when the action is being carried out by a woman who is daring and upfront with her behaviour, because we like to shame women and tell women that their space is only in this place. So if Shenseea is occupying a space where we feel that women shouldn't occupy, then there is backlash," Weeks told THE STAR.

The Hit and Run singer has faced heavy criticism since the release of Dating Szn. In it, she said she's "weighing her options" by dating two men simultaneously, something she said as a woman will help her to choose "the best candidate to elect". Comments range from "the song is promoting negativity and lack of morals in women" to others blaming the artiste for encouraging a "future of promiscuity" for young girls. However, other fans seemed unbothered and supportive of the 'dating culture' explored through the lyrics, stating that this should be more widely practised in Jamaica before "women get caught up in relationships with the wrong persons".

Following the release of the music video just four days ago, the song is already trending at number six on YouTube, amassing almost 70,000 likes, racking up more than one million views and a little below 3,000 comments.

With the societal norm suggesting that "a woman cannot do what a man do and still be a lady," Weeks was quick to dismiss that notion.

"Growing up, men not dating only one person unless it is otherwise stipulated. Whether man or woman, dat a gwaan long time suh mi nuh know weh di big deal. This standard that they keep on referring to only comes into play when they want to restrict women's behaviour - that's the only time yuh hear 'standard' being spoken about. We always want to bring up standards when we feel like this is just something that a woman should not be allowed to do because we're still in the business of trying to control women's behaviour," she said.

She added, "The behaviour that Shenseea is singing about in her song doesn't sound like new behaviour to me - it's nothing new. If an individual is dating, it's very likely that they are dating more than one person at a time. The only thing now is that they get to examine it through the lyrics of a song."

However, while stating that she doesn't believe Shenseea's song will have any "massive impact" on encouraging anyone to start indulging in dating practices, she urged young women who are now dating to "protect [themselves]" by all means.

"You are your first and last most important line of defence. Suh yuh must always protect your yourself, and I'm not talking only about sexually. But once you expose yourself to somebody, whether you're exploring a conversation or you're going out with them, then you become vulnerable," she said.

"So make sure that you protect yourself and don't put yourself in danger, because sometimes people are just looking for an opportunity to be dangerous, especially for us [women] so you really have to be careful. So if you're dating, nothing is wrong with that. Just make sure you exercise caution and make sure that you're smart with how you move, because women have lost their lives just by hurting a man's feelings," Weeks added.