Using Her Body For a Message
Can a silenced person be heard?
Women can be powerful when they bond for a common cause, especially rights regarding their bodies. Methods used include protesting, boycotts, marches, and assemblies; however, one can also use their body to protest. In Sierra Leone, the women stripped naked in objection of the new abortion laws. The women “stormed” outside of a meeting of the interreligious council in Freetown. While there, the women danced and sang songs while naked. The women were rejecting anti-abortion laws, and were demanding safer abortion pills. They were lacking institutional validation that their health matters. By taking off their clothes, the women clearly illustrated what they were demanding; they wanted control of their bodies again. As a result, they used the very thing that was oppressing them as a weapon to demand change. The protest was not planned, it was a spontaneous action. The women had a sense of urgency and demanded immediate change. They did not have time to sit back and strategically plan a protest, but they refused to allow others to make for plans affecting their bodies. There was urgency as the Sierra Leone women wanted safer methods of abortion. In other countries where abortion is illegal or unsafe, women typically seek dangerous methods of abortion which can be life threatening. Forth staes, “Many women and girls have engaged in unsafe abortion under cover, leading to deaths and after birth complications.”
A subaltern can be defined as anything regarding to oppression all put together into one being. The subaltern lacks a voice, opportunity, and resources. The women in Sierra Leone are considered subaltern as they were not asked how they felt about new laws regarding their bodies. They live in a patriarchal society, and they lack economic stability living in a third world country. In Gayatri Spivak’s “Can the Subaltern Speak?”, she claims that once the oppressed group is heard, they are no longer considered subaltern. When the Sierra Leone women stipped off their clothes and sang outside of the council meeting, they were given their voice back; the women were no longer subaltern. They used their bodies to express disgust and repulsion of being told by others what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. They had a sense of control with their bodies and used it as a microphone to fight against dictatorship policies. The act of being naked also gave power to the women because they took control during the protest. Their voices were finally heard, and there action of resistance was recognized as they fought for safety.
The subaltern can be seen in many other protests internationally. In Kerala, women had to pay a tax to cover their breast. However, only the upper class could afford to cover up. As a result, lower class people were left exposed, and there was a visible differences between the classes. Clothing is considered “wealth and prosperity” in which the poor lacked. By looking at a woman, others knew her economic position. In protest of the tax law, a woman named Nangeli fought against this tariff by cutting off her breast. By any means necessary, she used her body to convey a message without speaking; she was no longer subaltern as her needs were heard. Another example of the subaltern is the woman who sedcued a natzi as a teenager. She used her body to lure natzi men “Into the woods where instead of a make-out session, the men would be greeted with a bullet”. The woman used her body as a weapon and as a state of action. Often times, women’s bodies are perceived as weak and submissive; however, the woman defied this stereotype and used her body as a powerful weapon. Lastly, 20 women in Aleppo committed suicide to avoid being raped. The women refused to be taken advantage of and to become prisoners of war. They fear of being rapped was far more hideous than death. In all three examples, the subaltern spoke with their bodies as as they do not have a voice in their society. The use of their bodies provided a vessel to address their fears and to demand change.
At times, large risks are necessary when it meets resistance especially by a dominate force which in these cases, were men in patriarchal societies. Women standing in solidarity for causes relating to their bodies are not new. The Women’s Suffrage Movement, which began in 1848, where women fought against their counterparts, which were also men. They fought for, “Issues related to sexuality, marriage, and childbirth”, and more. The fight for birth control was during the Progressive Era, following War World I, where birth control was outlawed. Women led protests and through their efforts, they won the fight due to their persistence about having control over their bodies.
In my opinion, the women in Sierra Leone were amazingly brave. The act of being naked in public takes courage and confidence. Exposing oneself also makes one vulnerable for scrutiny and criticism by onlookers. However, the women were not concerned about their appearance as their goal was to ensure their medical safety. I especially commend Nangeli and the women in Aleppo for their extreme actions taken to be heard which caused them to self-inflict pain on their own bodies. One has to be truly oppressed if they believe the only way to be heard is to hurt oneself. The Women’s Suffrage Movement is a part of history in which their fight for women’s equality was and is widely recognized. I appreciate their efforts, and women today are still benefiting from their brave actions.
