Getting a new perspective

Happy International Women's Day - To celebrate, Amanda and I decided to see what life was like through the eyes of a woman in a Muslim country. We wore the traditional Niqab, a type of Islamic dress which covers the woman's entire body, leaving only the eyes and hands visible. As we weaved our way down the tiny streets of Kuala Lumpur and through the local markets, the first thing I noticed, other than how hot I was under the thick black material, was that I could no longer communicate with people. I felt like an observer, watching people go about their busy lives, unable to interact and communicate with them through facial gestures like a polite smile or nod. The only form of gesturing I could make was with my eyes, which became especially difficult when I tried to thank the driver who stopped for me at the pedestrian crosswalk where my polite smile and nod of course went unseen. When passing by Western tourists I could sense their discomfort as they awkwardly walked by me trying not to stare, many giving looks of disgust and disapproval. Although I was fully covered, local men continued their whistles and catcalls, subjecting me to such grotesque and unwanted attention. Being in a Niqab made me feel more comfortable as it covered my body from the eyes of preying men. It felt like a form of liberation from the objectification of women in society. On the other hand it also felt oppressive, anti-social and used as a form of male domination. To improve women's equality in other countries, we must first truly understand the experience of walking in their shoes