Sunday, March 8, 2015

TOW #22 "Men Wear Burqas For a Day" (Text)


A group of Afghan men in support for women’s rights marched through the capital Kabul while wearing burqas. The men were covered from head to toe with blue burqas, burqas are clothing that cover female bodies head to toe with mesh over the face. While there is a split of those who respect burqas and don’t, women should be allowed to have the decision of wearing one or not. The idea of the movement with men was to draw the attention to womens activists who fight against the suppression of women. Today March 8th is international womens day, but the event was held before it to spark more support for the day. Included in the article were quotes from those who participated in the march, “One of the best ways to understand how women feel is to walk around and wear a burqa.” The Taliban has forced women to wear burqas in public during their rule in the 90s, but it still remains common in many parts of Afghanistan. The march although supported by those outside of the country, had mixed opinions from onlookers. Personally I respect the men taking a step towards equality, this should be the first of many movements. Although this is one tiny step, just wearing a burqa for one day can not depict the way women are suppressed in society. The article to be more effective included direct quotes from participants, and even online opinions from those around the world. 

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