purdah

Veiled women's separation

Purdah is the practice in some Muslim and Hindu communities of secluding women from public view, typically through veiling, separate living quarters, or screens.

By extension, purdah describes any state of seclusion or secrecy: The committee went into purdah before announcing its decision.

In British politics, purdah is the pre-election period when government officials avoid announcements that might influence voters.

veiling

burqa

Full-body covering with mesh

niqabVeil concealing the face
hijabMuslim woman's headscarf
chadorFull-body outer cloak

veil · covering · concealment · modesty · cloth · screen · curtain · shroud · drape · envelopment

political

metaphor

Implied identity comparison

secrecyPractice of hiding information
concealmentAct of hiding something
behind closed doorsIn private, unobserved

out of sight · hidden · obscured · withdrawn · invisible · inaccessible · off-limits · embargo · blackout · silence

seclusion

harem

Wives' sequestered quarters

segregationForced separation by group
confinementState of being restricted
isolationComplete separation from others

withdrawal · cloistering · enclosure · sequestration · separation · exclusion · retirement · apartness · domesticity · interior

cultural

Muslim

Adherent of Islam

IslamQuranic monotheistic religion
South AsianFrom the subcontinent
IndianPerson from either continent

Pakistani · Afghan · Pashtun · Bengali · Mughal · subcontinent · custom · tradition · practice · observance

gender

women

Female adults collectively

patriarchyMale-dominated social order
honorHigh regard, moral dignity
shamePainful awareness of failure

respectability · virtue · chastity · propriety · decorum · protection · guardianship · womanhood · femininity · gender separation

purdah

burqa

metaphor

harem

Muslim

women

purdah

Opposites

Categories