Sweden: Short skirts against women's oppression

Sweden: Short skirts against women's oppression

Her whole life Nalin Pekgul (42), covered her legs in long skirts. But when she noticed that girls in Tensta [Stockholm suburb] didn't want or dared to dress like they wanted to, she reconsidered.

"I bought.. let's see now.. one, two, three, four, five short skirts. That first time I put on my short skirt was March 8. It felt really weird. Since then, I had an even shorter skirt for the opening of parliament. And I'm used to sit as I want with my legs in long skirts. It's a little uncomfortable. But it's worth it," says Nalin Pekgul.

"The funny thing is that everybody is so shocked and everybody thinks that it's so pretty. All the Tensta residents come and ask what happened. Then I say it's my Taliban protest. And then they say that it's good. Everybody thinks it's really good. It's just I that think that it's a little tedious."

She doesn't hesitate to classify the new style as political.

"People should be able to dress as they want. If it's necessary that I wear a short skirt and show the way then I'll do that," she says.

Q: Can it be cold in winter?

"It's already cold, I'll tell you. Co-workers had already ran and bought long socks since they're so worried that I'll get sick."

Q: But the members are happy with your style?

"The members, the residents of Tensta, my family, everybody thinks, oh, what nice clothes. There's no problem to be a feminist and have short skirts. There's no problem to be a Muslim and have short skirts. There's no problem to be a believer and have short skirts."

Nalin Pekgul wants to be an example for women and girls in general and for her daughter in particular.

"Clearly we must stand up for what we think. In the beginning of September I and Mona Sahlin [head of the party] went together to the Tensta market. When I got dressed my daughter cried that I shouldn't wear any of the short skirts. "This isn't Norra Ängby. This is Tensta and there are Talibanists out there." I then changed to a long skirt but have since realized what a bad example I was being if I accept that others should decide how I should be dressed," explains Pekgul.

Since then Nalin Pekgul has consistently worn short skirts.

Source: Kvp, SVT (Swedish)