Stripped down for change: The POWER of the NAKED protest

Dr Mpho Mathebula is a lecturer from the Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development at Wits University. He joins Aubrey Masango.

Listen below.

ALSO READ: Aussie man wants G-string bikinis banned on the beach

In her latest piece for The Conversation, 'Naked protests in South Africa, Mathubela explores the emotional power of this form of activism.

While it may look like a shocking form of rebellion or extreme attention-seeking, stripping down has often been used as a powerful tool to make voices heard.

Mathubela says such demonstrations are often used as a last resort.

"It's not like somebody just wakes up and decides, OK, I'm going to take off my clothes."

- Dr Mpho Mathebula, Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development - Wits University

Mathebula says it's a modus operandi used when people feel unseen and unheard.

"You end up taking off your clothes and saying... Can you hear me? Can you see me?"

- Dr Mpho Mathebula, Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development - Wits University

Mathubela says the power of such protests lies in the raw simplicity of the demonstration.

Most often, the protests are performed by women.

"Naked protest invoke that shock and discomfort which forces society to engage with issues like domestic violence, gender discrimination, racial injustice, rape, all of those things women experience on a daily basis."

- Dr Mpho Mathebula, Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development - Wits University

Naked protests bring shock value, says Mathubela, and they have a long and storied history in South Africa.

Mathubela explains that she has interviewed numerous South African women who have protested while naked over the last 10 years.

"They are a feminist tactic that embodies both vulnerability and strength, using the body as a site of resistance and empowerment."

- Dr Mpho Mathebula, Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development - Wits University

ALSO READ: Makro responds to elderly woman's complaint about a man sent to help fit bra

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.