The adoption of the veil among this group in Kenya’s refugee communities is a new thing, says Peri M. Klemm in this excerpt from “Veiling in Africa.” While there are many reasons for this push, Islam isn’t a motivation for covering up.
October 13, 2013 (WOMENSENEWS)– The adoption of the veil among Oromo refugees living in Eastleigh, Kenya, one the largest urban refugee communities in Africa, is a recent phenomenon.
Women feel increasing pressure to cover their heads and bodies in accordance with the practices of their Somali neighbors and fellow refugees. More and more, as instability and violence escalate, Oromo women are choosing to adopt full hair, head and body covering as a kind of urban camouflage with which to conceal their ethnicity. As one female resident acknowledged, “We grew up free but here we have to cover our faces.” Read more…
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