Purdah or Ghunghat - How is Hiding Someone's Face Showing Respect?

Since childhood, I have seen many families, including mine, in which 'purdah' still prevails. Women have to hide their faces with a ghunghat or a veil from elderly men of the family and outsiders. This always aroused my inquisitiveness. Is this a sign of respect? If yes, how is hiding one's face respectful? I have seen criminals covering their faces! We hide our faces from being ashamed, isn't it?

So, if not a mark of respect, then what it is?

After Googling and questioning some people, I learnt that it all dates back to when foreign rulers/invaders entered our country. To protect our women, from the prying eyes. That's cool! No harsh feelings, because feminism or equality of genders hardly existed at that time. Still, I had this question, that why those prying eyes were never told to not do so? To which some people replied, it's not easy to instruct someone outside your family. One can only impart good manners and values to his/her acquaintances.

That's very true. No doubt!

However, what pinged my mind was the question, has "purdah" transformed into something else over time? Initially, the practice was of hiding faces from strangers, some communities have started to encourage 'purdah' within the family only. Now, what does this imply? After joining the dots, I could only think of this reason- to hide the faces from the prying eyes within one’s own family. I could not think of any other reason. We have never tried to make things straight by teaching moral values to males. Why is that so? Why are we not capable of teaching moral values to our family members?

Discussing all this with some more people around, I got several other responses. Some said, “you know how these boys are, they don’t listen only.”

Oh great! How easily we have made peace with it. This discriminatory behaviour of our society enrages me but I try to remain calm. With a heavy heart, I agreed that that’s the way they are! But, why??? Why are they not changing? Are they not being taught enough? Where are they lacking? Or is it us, the society, who are lacking in our effort?

Cutting men/boys slack even when they are wrong is a predominant &t=686s">mindset of society. I get it, that past cannot be altered. However, the future can be mended, isn’t it? Change is the only constant in this nature, so we must embrace change in our mindsets as well. This era is different from the past one, and it can be made better in the future.

Several changes have been inflicted on society. Females dare to speak up and talk about feminism and equality in a relationship, home and at workplaces. Let's support all sorts of equality and not ignore male security in our society!

Views expressed are the author's own.

Suggested Reading:

Extramarital Affairs: Can Happiness Lie In Escape?

Why Can't Society Let Women Walk Away From Dysfunctional Marriages In Peace?

If Feminism Is Breaking Your Marriage, Then Perhaps It Is Better Off Broken