The past 12 months have been lived through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic and a variety of lockdowns.

One side-effect is that it has shed new light on the significance of the many hats, scarves, wigs or other headpieces of choice worn by a woman.

The need to adapt and adopt new norms, while maintaining expected traditional roles, requires “superwoman strengths” and support. Being largely bound by movement restrictions, they turn to the generations of women in their own families, learning from the wisdom of the old and a child’s youthful optimism.

Malaysiakini spoke to members of four families who shared in brief what it means to be a woman in 2021 - from the perspective of a great grandmother, grandmother, mother, daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter - and what women’s rights means to them...