Women couldn’t wear pants in lots of places in the US until at least the 1970s, but in the Sudan, they’re still fighting tradition:
Sudan is partially ruled by Islamic law, which emphasizes modest dress for women. Mrs. Hussein, 34, has pleaded not guilty and is daring the Sudanese authorities to punish her.
“I am Muslim; I understand Muslim law,” Mrs. Hussein said in an interview. “But I ask: what passage in the Koran says women can’t wear pants? This is not nice.”
Mrs. Hussein even printed up invitation cards for her initial court date in July and sent out e-mail messages asking people to witness her whipping, if it came to that. She said she wanted the world to see how Sudan treated women.
The issue there is tradition, even if it’s being explained as a religious issue; here I’m sure it was pretty much the same kinds of arguments, all of them sexist bullshit.