A mid-length skirt is considered to be fairly modest attire in most parts of the world. But a recent photo of a girl walking the streets of Kabul, showing bare legs from the knee down has gone viral because in Afghanistan, the image is so rare and controversial.
Kabul-based journalist Hayat Ensafi saw the woman walking down a main street in the city and was so shocked by what he saw that he knew he had to capture it. He told BBC Trending, “I was shocked…I knew I had to catch this special moment because I never saw a woman here walking down the streets like this.”
The ‘shocking’ image…
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There has been a huge online response after Hayat posted the image to Facebook; thousands of people shared and commented on the photo. Because of the strict rules regarding women’s clothing in Afghanistan, the image shocked many online viewers but has also become a symbol of dissent.
The BBC’s Syed Anwar in Kabul says the woman is a huge topic of conversation. He told the BBC, “We have seen thousands of people talk about it…Not only on social media but also in the streets people are talking about her, wondering if she is mentally ill or if she is protesting.”
Some Facebook comments encouraged her bravery.
The BBC showed one comment that said, “It’s her body not yours…Salute her courage. We want to see more women come out like that.”
Very little is actually known about the mysterious woman. Hayat attempted to talk to her after he took the picture, but she was quick to walk away.
Since the recent Taliban rule in Afghanistan women’s rights have been quashed, so full-body covering and the burqa are far more common than clothes that expose flesh.
The niqab is much more common now.
“It’s risky for women to walk bare-legged in Kabul,” Syed Anwar told the BBC. “At the same time, some people have argued that [dressing like this] can pave the way for Taliban propaganda.”
He goes on to tell the publication that the whole city of Kabul is in shock.
But we’re just sad that this image is so alarming, when it should be part of the norm. We salute this woman’s bravery and look forward to the day Afghani women can have autonomy over their bodies and clothing, and do so without fear of punishment.
What message do you have for the woman in the photo?
Top Comments
It's quite possible she wasn't making any kind of statement, she may have been kicked out of her home after an argument and had to hurriedly leave with whatever clothes she had on, or some other emergency because it seems to me strange in particular that she had no shoes. I'm sure somewhere in the western world someone has had to hurriedly leave their house in their underwear for similar reasons. She was probably walking as fast as she could to get to safety. It certainly seemed like she didn't want to stop and talk to anyone. Of course yes she may be making a statement or be mentally ill instead, but I'm just mentioning the first option because it seems one that hasn't been considered. Either way I hope her identity isn't discovered, because she will probably end up being killed, I'm very glad the photographer blurred out her face.
"Since the recent Taliban rule in Afghanistan women’s rights have been quashed, so full-body covering and the burqa are far more common than clothes that expose flesh" so who is forcing women in Australia who wear the burqa or niqab then?
Yes, you would think that such a repressive piece of clothing would be shunned by Muslim women here if they are being genuine when they say that they are not forced to wear it.
They are not forced to wear it in Australia, only in countries enforced by governments and insurgents. I work with many muslim men and women at my workplace in Perth, some women wear hijabs, some do not cover their face at all. It is up to them, and the men that work with them do not treat them differently depending on their choice.
ITS A HIJAB
Not really as it is a religious symbol of devotion so it is not seen as backwards to Muslims. It is seen as the braver thing to do.