Purdah or pardah (from Persian: پرده, meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities in South Asia.[1] 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.