Sahwa

In most countries there are generally understood rules on the interaction between men and women: how are you allowed to touch or look at a stranger of the opposite sex, are you allowed to use the same facilities? These sometimes unspoken but well-known rules can differ significantly from place to place, and signals can be misinterpreted. Rules for men and women are partly followed also by boys and girls. The relevant age limits vary by culture and context. Babies and toddlers are seldom considered, while adolescents are usually treated like adults. In Muslim majority countries, such unspoken gender rules typically do not apply to mahrams, i.e. family members one cannot marry due to consangamory restrictions. A traveller may commit faux pas in any culture different from their own; there may be surprising rules on segregation and interaction regardless of the overall level of segregation.