Avenger of the Week | Ruhee Kapadia

photo credit: Engin Akyurt, via Pexels

As temperatures rise to over 100 degrees on the east coast this weekend, families everywhere will be heading to their local pools. Unfortunately, many Muslim women will be turned away because of their traditional dress, which when swimming might consist of a bathing suit layered with leggings and a T-shirt (sometimes known as a burkini). In 2017, after her daughter was turned away from a public pool in New York, Ruhee Kapadia began the fight to get that policy changed, and she won! This summer, two years after the initial incident, Kapadia’s town pool now features signs outlining approved swim attire that include the phrase, “To respect religious customs a burkini can be worn.” Three cheers for women everywhere being able to wear what they wish to take a cool summer swim.

When Ruhee Kapadia’s daughter was turned away from a public pool for wearing “non-approved” swimwear, she fought back and changed the rules for Muslim women. #GenderAvenger #AvengerOfTheWeek https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-ruhee-kapadia