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I don't know the work. All I can suggest is that even though it doesn't sound like it was traumatic for the heroine in this case, there are several examples of the scenario you mention (hair being cut short to humiliate women) under the Traumatic Haircut trope (and not all of them actually are traumatic). So it's possible you'll find this work there.
I'm probably wrong, but I'm thinking it's Consider Phlebas.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/ConsiderPhlebas
Consider Phlebas doesn't sound right, but is definitely worth a look, thanks. The protagonist is a woman, the part of the story I remember is told from her point of view. She's captured early and imprisoned (that's when she mentions the haircut) and continues to tell the story from what she can see/learn while locked up. I don't know if she tells the whole the story, they may flip to the male agent for some chapters. I've examined Traumatic Haircut before, but I'll look again. Thanks!
Edited by SnowRobinBump. Anyone else out there find anything? Please and thank you.
I read a book many years ago and I'm attempting to track it down now to re-read it. Here's what I remember: there's a woman who works for some sort of agency (I think it's intergalactic) and she's captured by an enemy race. She makes a comment about having her hair cut short when she's imprisoned because in the enemy's culture that is a way to humiliate or shame women, though it doesn't bother her. That's the most specific thing I recall, but there is also something about her working with another agent, a man who is either inexperienced or has done something disgraceful, making her unhappy to be stuck with him. In the end, he takes their ship and uses it to somehow defeat the enemy, I think by self-destructing the ship to blow up their base or city, killing himself in the process but saving the female agent and presumably everyone else... Any ideas? I believe it is a young adult novel and it may be out of print. Also, I can't promise it was ever published or available outside the United States. Not a lot to go on, I know, but I'd appreciate any titles anyone can suggest. Thanks!