Would I be correct in assuming that the "mesh" on both sides of the rear wheel is to prevent skirt entanglement?

When I was in Italy in 2013 I saw a nun riding an Italian version of a city bike. There were similar guards, only much larger and made of what appeared to be leather laced to the rear triangle (leave it to the Italians to do it in style), which I assumed were to prevent a robe or skirt from becoming entangled in the rear spokes.