Tracing the Legacy of Shalwar: From Ottoman Women to Women's Rights Movements

Abstract

This study examines the historical, cultural, and functional significance of trousers as a long-standing symbol of Turkish women's attire, with a focus on their implications for gender roles and social structure. Using historical, archaeological, and ethnographic sources, the research highlights the key role of trousers in expressing egalitarian values within early Turkic societies and their successors. Trousers were worn by both women and men, not only to allow for mobility and maintain modesty, but also to serve as a visual marker of gender equality. This gender-inclusive clothing tradition represented a social and cultural structure that recognized and legitimatized women's presence in public, work, and domestic spheres. Trousers were a symbol of equality, suited for horse-based civilizations where both sexes wielded swords, practiced archery, and participated in courtship rituals, celebrating martial skills. Among Turkic societies, women's clothing often included open-front robes, trousers, long boots, belts, and headgear. This style, which shaped women's dress for generations, persisted into the Ottoman era and also influenced Western women. This paper investigates the symbolic meanings, historical continuity, archaeological evidence, multifunctionality, and construction methods of Turkish women's trousers. It considers them as important tools for gender negotiation, symbols of bodily autonomy, and representation of female independence.