Woman stitches new life for herself after lifting veil

Local government helps housewife entrepreneur create a successful carpet-weaving business

After baking nang, a kind of crusty pancake, for her husband and children early in the morning, Guliayisham Memet puts on a brightly colored silk dress and rides her motorcycle to the carpet factory 3 kilometers away from where she lives, a small village in Toksun county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Some who see her cheerful and energetic face might find it hard to believe that she had worn a burqa, an Islamic garment that covers the entire body, for more than 20 years. Following her family traditions, Guliayisham Memet seldom went out, with almost no contact with the outside world, even after she married a man in another village.