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Because of the shame associated with the female body, and the human body in general, young women grow up knowing little about their bodies. Because of the conservative society and so-called Islamic values, a young woman is taught to cover her body from the eyes of others and to feel shame if by mistake a part of her arm or leg becomes uncovered. She grows up too shy to discuss her body with others, even for medical reasons (Gulf News, UAE Seeks to Slash Breast Cancer Mortality Rate). Sex education does not exist in school or at home, until, perhaps, before a woman's marriage. In some cases, not even that is offered a woman. Girls and young women are usually not allowed to be present where married women are having conversations. American and Western literature, which is readily available in the market and that discusses issues that pertain to a young woman and answers many of her questions, is not allowed in most homes because fathers and brothers, sometimes mothers too, believe that it spreads unIslamic values. Educational books and websites that deal with sexuality and target younger audiences are censored or banned by the government. Wearing the veil saves some women the shame that is associated with their bodies, allaying their fears and saving them from men's eyes and consequently dishonor. While most women are required to wear the shaila (the veil) and the abaya (a black robe covering all the body), few are still required to hide their faces behind the burqa, or the golden mask (Soffan, pp. 37-38). The body part that remains uncovered, the face, is an important and deciding factor for the woman's beauty and value. Many young women spend enormous amounts of time applying makeup and various creams to their faces, fixing their eyebrows and eyelashes, and decorating their faces with their bangs, which they are sometimes allowed to show. Some women are allowed to change their physical appearance, such as dye their hair or have new hair styles, or even paint their finger nails, before marriage, some only gain this freedom after marriage, and some are not allowed to do this before or after marriage. Only males are circumcised when they are born, but some women
are circumcised at a later age, around puberty. Most girls who
are born have their ears pierced when they are a few months old. |
