Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu پردہ, पर्दा, meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of gender partition prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: social partition of the … See more

The word purdah is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word pardā, which itself is derived from the Persian (pardeh, پرده) from Middle Persian pltk' … See more

Protection and subjugation
Some scholars argue that the purdah was initially designed to protect women from being harassed, but … See more

Another important aspect of purdah is modesty for women, which includes minimizing the movement of women in public spaces and … See more

Pre-Islamic origins
In ancient Indian society, "practices that restricted women's social mobility and behavior" existed but the arrival of Islam in India "intensified … See more

The following reminiscence from C.M. Naim describes the evolution of purdah during the first third of the 20th century among the sharif or … See more

Psychology and health
By restricting women's mobility, purdah results in the social and physical isolation of women. Lack of a strong social network places women in a … See more