What they wore

I mentioned on Monday the book about the embroiderers in Afghanistan. I finished it a few days ago but one part has stuck with me and I want to share it with you. 

Are you familiar with the exhibits of clothes women were wearing when they were sexually assaulted? The clothing covers a wide range of styles, and the intent is to show that assault is assault and has nothing to do with the clothes a woman was wearing. But I fear this mindset of blaming the woman for wearing the "wrong" clothing and thus "asking for her own abuse" is still far too pervasive. I think that's why the paragraph I'm going to share is still taking up real estate inside my head. 

"When walking, burqa-clad women often faced contentious sexual harassment. Men whistled, yelled offensive words, or touched the women's bodies. Should a woman respond to the aggression, others on the street would assume she must have done something to attract the attention." - Embroidering within the Boundaries: Afghan women creating a future by Rangina Hamidi and Mary Littrell (p. 101

To me, this shows that it is never about what a woman is wearing, but is all about the fact that she is a woman. It is infuriating. 

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