Women knit during a Christmas workshop to teach embroidery in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth, December 6, 2018. Picture taken December 6, 2018.

As Nazareth was decked out for Christmas, a group of weavers gathered in the cobblestone alleys of Israel’s largest Arab city, intent on preserving their Palestinian heritage at a time when their communities feel under pressure.

The women of the Apatani tribe, which lives in the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, India have a unique tradition. They wear large nose plugs and face tattoos. But contrary to popular assumptions of face piercing and tattoos, the Apatani women do not use them for reasons of beauty.

In Malaysia when our mothers and certainly our grandmothers were young, traveling alone as a woman was literally unheard of. In many traditional cultures, unmarried women are not allowed to roam around unchaperoned.

Her hair is tied up in a top knot. Thick kohl lines her eyes up to the temples. Her forehead is painted in red, with a silver agni chakchuu – the third eye, which is known as the fire eye – staring out from the center. She sits playfully on her mother’s lap while one by one people kneel down to offer her flowers, donations or simply to touch her feet. She appears shy to me, as if not used to receiving strangers. Despite the shyness, her eyes sparkle with curiosity.

Five days ago, Sita Karki, 14, was forced into isolation in a filthy, dark and sweltering cattle shed about 10 minutes away from her home. The reason is that she is menstruating.

© picture-alliance/dpa/WILDLIFE/M.Harvey

Colorful, patterned or plain – at wedding ceremonies or during funerals – African women always have the right headscarf for every occasion. For many, it is an indispensable part of their outfit.