pardah
/ˈpɑrˌdɑ/
noun
- A curtain or screen used in South Asia to keep women in seclusion from the view of men or strangers.
- She peeked through the pardah to see who had arrived at the door.
- The pardah was often made of fine silk or cotton, decorated with embroidery.
- In traditional households, women observed pardah by staying behind a screen when male visitors came.
- The system or practice of secluding women from public view, especially in some Muslim and Hindu communities.
- The practice of pardah has been debated for centuries in South Asian societies.
- The novel explores the life of a young woman growing up under the strict rules of pardah.
- Many women today choose not to follow pardah, while others observe it as a personal or religious choice.
Synonyms