Fashion magazines would have their readers believe that the clothes a woman wears are all about style. But women's clothing may also communicate messages that run much deeper than superficial appearances.

This is especially true in religiously conservative countries, where what women wear—or choose not to wear—is often a political choice.

Read about examples from Sudan and Afghanistan in this new activity from World Conflicts Today (free trials).

When Lubna Hussein was arrested in July 2009 with 12 other women in Khartoum, Sudan, it was for the crime of wearing pants in a public place—an act deemed indecent by Sudanese law. Several of the women arrested with her were flogged and fined, but Hussein opted to stand trial to protest the law.

She was fined and, after refusing to pay, was briefly jailed. Women protesting Sudan's indecency laws rallied at Hussein's trial, where they were met with counter-protests from men dressed in traditional Islamic clothing. According to Hussein, laws governing women's appearances in Sudan are symptomatic of a larger issue: "Women [in Sudan] are still constrained—not only in their freedom of dress but also their freedom to work."



AFTER THE COMMUNIST COUP,
WOMEN WERE FREE TO DRESS AS THEY WISHED
© Getty Images, Inc. (1978)

Afghanistan is another place where women's appearances have often signaled the level of freedom they enjoy in society. After a 1978 coup brought to power Afghanistan's communist party, women wore what they liked and could be seen walking freely along the street in short skirts and high heels. This period also saw the abolition of the bride price and the implementation of mandatory education for girls.

By contrast, when the Taliban came to power in 1996, their radical interpretation of Islam was apparent in the burkas (a garment covering the entire body except the eyes) that Afghan women were forced to don. But mandatory burka wearing was only a visible manifestation of the belief held by the Taliban that it was inappropriate for women to play a role in public life.

For women in places such as Sudan and Afghanistan, the question of what to wear each morning is therefore a weighty one. The choice to wear pants or not wear a burka has political dimensions and may carry with it serious consequences.

Learning Activity

1. Have your students answer this essential question for critical thinking:
   
   The following two images of Kabuli women were taken almost exactly five years apart—the first, just weeks after the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, and the second, just days after the Taliban fled Kabul in 2001. How could these images, either separately or together, be used to make a statement about human rights?
   
   
   
   AFGHAN WOMEN WAIT FOR RELIEF
   OUTSIDE AN AID AGENCY [in Kabul]
   © Getty Images, Inc. (1996)
   
   
   A YOUNG WOMAN REMOVES HER VEIL SHORTLY
   AFTER THE FALL OF THE TALIBAN [in Kabul]
   © Getty Images, Inc. (2001)
   
   
2. Assign students to research the political role that women's clothing has played in places such as Iran, Iraq, and the Palestinian Territories and share their findings in a presentation or in a short essay.