Monday, October 6, 2008

Transnational.




A girl in my Women's Studies tutorial commented that she had a hard time believing that Muslim women who wear the hijab can call themselves liberated. She explained that they have to cover their bodies from men, and strengthened her point by saying that the veil even causes various respiratory problems.


Without putting up my hand I asked her what she thought about Western women who wear mini skirts, belly tops, and low-cut shirts. To me, I have a hard time seeing this as liberation. Is it really a freedom, when you are dressing in a way which men have decided is apparently sexy? In some ways, isn't oppression culturally relative? Maybe covering your body can feel just as empowering as showing it.


Oh, and mini-skirts may not cause "respiratory problems" but cheap spandex, vinyl, and polyester blends can sure as hell leave a nasty rash.