Purdah is a cultural tradition of sex segregation in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, associated with Muslim and Hindu societies. It is not a religious tradition and has been subject to debate. Purdah involves the separation of men and women, with women often having a private area. It may have originated from a desire to control and protect women, and is associated with manipulation and power. Supporters suggest it promotes respect for women, but it also keeps women in a submissive position and may lead to underreporting of sex crimes.
The term purdah, meaning “tent,” is used to describe the traditional isolation of women in the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia. It is particularly related to Muslim and Hindu societies, although in areas where these religions have a strong influence, sex segregation is observed by people of all faiths. Purdah has been a subject of fascination and debate for centuries, with some people supporting the concept, while others strictly oppose it, arguing that purdah is used as a tool for the suppression of women.
As a general rule, purdah is a cultural rather than a religious tradition. In other words, although purdah is specifically associated with some religions, this association is not really accurate. While purdah derives from religious values about modesty and proper behavior, it actually has no foundation in religious teaching. Indeed, some religious authorities oppose purdah for this very reason.
In its simplest form, purdah simply involves the segregation of the sexes. Men and women are traditionally separated by a prayer screen, for example, and may be discouraged from associating in public. In the home, women often have a private area such as a zenana, or harem, where men are not admitted, and men and women are never left alone together, unless they are married. In some cases, purdah is enforced with the wearing of veils and other garments designed to isolate women. A harem, incidentally, is simply an area of the house where men are not allowed to go, rather than a collection of odalisques, contrary to popular opinion.
There are a number of reasons purdah may have become so common in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. While connected to the spread of Islam, historical evidence suggests that the sexes were separated long before the period of Muslim conquest in the region, and similar worldwide traditions of seclusion make it impossible for Islam alone to be responsible for purdah. Purdah rules may derive from a desire to control and protect women and from traditions in which men and women have very distinct and separate roles. Purdah is also about manipulation and showing power to some extent, as only wealthy people can afford to have separate quarters for women, for example, or to isolate their women so they don’t have to come in contact with society .
Fans of seclusion of the sexes suggest that purdah promotes respect and love for women, sometimes suggesting that the relatively lower rates of reported sex crimes in purdah-practicing regions of the world are due to seclusion of women . Sadly, these seemingly lower rates are likely related to cultural values that lead women to refrain from reporting such crimes, for fear of recriminations or ridicule. Purdah also tends to keep women in a submissive position, as they cannot interact with men on an equal footing, or with society at large in very conservative regions.
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