Purdah or pardah (from Persian : پرده, meaning "curtain") is a religious and social institution of female seclusion in Muslim-majority countries and South Asian countries. The Arabic equivalent is hijab. The term purdah is predominantly used in South Asia.

Purdah has “visual, spatial, and ethical dimensions”.It refers three main components: veiling of women, segregation of sexes, and a set of norms and attitudes that sets boundaries for Muslim women’s moral conduct.

Purdah is primarily practiced in majority-Muslim countries and Hindu communities in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh).It varies broadly according to religions, region, nationality, cultures, and socioeconomic classes.

-sources from wikipedia-