ABSTRACT

This paper explores the regulation of modesty-related practices in liberal societies. The paper uses two examples of modesty-related practices- the practice of wearing the Hijab and the practice of separating men and women in buses- in order to demonstrate that modesty-related practices often rest on different rationales. Some of these rationales are oppressive and discriminatory while other are benign or even autonomy-enhancing. The multiplicity of meanings associated with modesty-related practices is a challenge to the policy maker. The paper proposes that sometimes it is possible to transform the social meaning of modesty-related practices without transforming the practices themselves.