This is a pic taken by my partner at the local break. This woman in the full burka was paddling with her child in this getup - gloves, shoes and all. How can you build sand castles with your kid with gloves on? Her husband was allowed to take off his shirt, enjoy the feel of the sun and wind on his skin. His wife had no such privilege.
This is a democracy so everyone has the right to wear what they want - within certain 'decency' guidelines. Which might be ironic coming from me because I spent my early adult years parading around as a nude art model and visiting the local nudie beach. Given the occasional sleeze factor I'll admit that there have to be some constraints, not everyone takes responsibility for their genitals, however I have to admit that I find this indecent. Democracy is alright in theory but this is turning it on its head.
You can say it's her choice and you would be right, except perhaps that she may be beaten or murdered for not towing the line. Even if she could make a different choice what makes a woman feel as though she needs to make this choice, to be so owned and dominated - she might say respected. I can relate to the reclamation of power in this, many women would feel more secure by denying the gaze of predatory males. I get that. When I was 'young and attractive' I used to shy away from that sort of attention because it often felt like a violation of my personal space. If I had been another type of woman I would simply have exploited it. But I didn't want to achieve anything like that, by manipulating someone's penis. Sure it would have been easier but everything has consequences. I wouldn't have belonged to myself.
What is really indecent here is the fact that men are still behaving like cavemen. I know what it's about. I did biology, I know the social and psychological breakdown. I still find it tragic that women are still being treated as property, that men in these cultures and even our own don't take responsibility for their own responses to the sight of flesh and that women feel they need to make this choice.
I find it just as indecent that women in our culture feel they have to constantly display as much as possible in the most provocative way as possible, who in reality, are just as much in bondage to the desires of men as the women in burkas.
