Afghan women around the world are posting pictures of themselves dressed up in traditional clothing accompanied by the hashtag #DoNotTouchMyClothes, to protest against the female dress code being imposed on them by the Taliban. The hashtag #DoNotTouchMyClothes has been trending online as Afghan women from different parts of the globe raise their voice.
Afghan women have started an online campaign to protest the Taliban’s female dress code by posting photos with traditional clothes using the hastahgs #DoNotTouchMyClothes , #AfghanistanCulture and #AfghanWomen .#WomensArt pic.twitter.com/TI0rV8LHcy
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) September 14, 2021
The campaign is a response to the new dress code introduced by the Taliban for female students in Afghanistan, as the Taliban have recently said that Afghan universities will be segregated by gender, and a new dress code will be introduced.
Afghan women around the world are sharing images of themselves wearing traditional clothing under the hashtag #DoNotTouchMyClothes.
The campaign is a response to the Taliban’s new dress code for female students in Afghanistan ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/gbwbAyF8xV
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 14, 2021
Many women have protested against the new development saying that while they support the freedom of exercising one’s own right to wear what they desire, including the niqaab, they also believe that dressing in black from head to toe is not Afghan culture, sharing pictures of colorful traditional dresses worn by Afghan women. “I always support women’s choice of attire, what I will never support is women being oppressed into a culture that isn’t theirs to begin with. Our traditional clothes have always been bright and colourful, never the black niqab”, wrote Leena Derwish.
I always support women’s choice of attire, what I will never support is women being oppressed into a culture that isn’t theirs to begin with.
Our traditional clothes have always been bright and colourful, never the black niqab.#DoNotTouchMyClothes #Afghanistanwomen pic.twitter.com/xYHZbfTu0a
— Leena Derwish (@LeenaDerwish) September 14, 2021
The new policy is significantly different from accepted practice before the Taliban takeover where female students did not have to abide by a dress code, and universities were co-educational. Afghan women from around the world are collectively raising their voice to reclaim their rights.
I stand with all my afghan sisters .
#DoNotTouchMyClothes #AfghanistanCulture pic.twitter.com/3NE6XTzDP9— 𓆩؏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂𓆪 (@_iamKashmiri) September 14, 2021
Posting old pictures representing the Afghanistan they have witnessed, in attempts to gain ‘visibility and strength’ for Afghan women.
If we’re giving Afghan woman visibility and strength then allow me to join #DoNotTouchMyClothes 💕 pic.twitter.com/uWJEYoorMb
— Zor 🍅 (@Zorthania) September 14, 2021
With the #DoNotTouchMyClothes, Afghan women are trying to tell the Taliban and the rest of the world that the new dress code, does not represent Afghanistan’s women, Afghanistan’s culture or Afghanistan as a country on the whole! Leave us your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
