Odd Title, true. (reminded me immediately of the Mel Brooks classic ‘Men in Tights’) But this is what I thought after I read an article on the DTN Website today about the next taboo which has been lifted in turkish parliament: A few days after the headscarf ban was lifted female MP’s of the opposition protested because now they claimed the right to wear pants in parliament (love this term). From now on female MP’s are allowed to wear pants while attending parliament. Leyla Zana of the kurdish democratic party followed suit and came strong with an orange blazer and black pants. Great! Indeed! Finally or WTF??
Different thoughts came up and started wandering in my mind. Apart from the fact that I thought that pants were already allowed years ago (my fault), I thought: Akliniz neredeydi? Where have your minds been all these years when supposedly seculars were opposing the headscarf in public buildings and parliament? How could women of any political party consider something else i.e a headscarf more bothering than the fact that in the 21st century women are not allowed to wear pants in parliament aka to work? In Germany it was in 1970 that the female MP Lenelotte von Bothmer stirred male and public outrage when she entered the parliament in a pant suit. This was 43 years ago. But also there it was once forbidden for a woman to wear trousers whenever she wanted. In Turkey the pants ban was tried to be lifted a couple of years ago but was voted against by the majority of- guess what- male MP’s, big surprise.
The fact that here and elsewhere common (cultural and social, predominantly male) perceptions of how a women should behave, what she should wear or whom she is supposed to marry and many other perceptions still prevail makes me angry, furious and sad. Long before this fake mustache hype came up my mother used to say that she is going to put on a mustache in order to get heard by men she had to work with (not my father). Not listening to or belittling what is said by women is outrageous. It’s not about religious affiliation it’s a patriarchal mindset from the middle ages. I will try the impossible and put the headscarves in a just fashion related discourse: In this case pants as headscarves are bound to the taste, style and freedom of choice of every woman. Today it’s red tomorrow it’s pink, the other day it is whatever I want it to be. Don’t get caught up on what I wear listen to what I say.
Cute some might say now, nice try or wake up- life is not like that bla bla bla. To go into detail and start a discussion about feminism, chauvinism and other stories would blow up this space right now but I would never mind do that because it’s infuriating. Period!