purdah

Purdah or pardah (from Persian: پرده, meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim communities in South Asia. The variation of purdah worn by Hindu women is known as Ghoonghat. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that women cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form. A woman who practices purdah can be referred to as pardanashin or purdahnishan.