We live in a world that wants women to suppress and shrink themselves in every way possible. All over the world, women's existence is seen as inferior to that of men and they are treated as so. Body policing is one of the ways women are forced to conform to the patriarchal system that aims to keep us relegated and subjugated.
As a result of misogyny and patriarchy, women and their bodies are subjected to constant scrutiny and policing. From a very young age, women's bodies are sexualized and we are conditioned to believe our bodies define us. A woman's worth in society is based on how pretty/tempting she is to men and how "pure" she is.
In Nigeria today, the choices of women concerning their bodies are restricted in ways that men aren't. We are taught that our bodies belong to everyone but us and we ought to be ashamed of them. We are conditioned to believe the harmful ideas perpetuated about our bodies.
Body Policing in Dressing
Nigerian women can not express bodily autonomy in their dressing. We are taught and expected to please men in our appearances. As a woman, you cannot wear revealing clothes because that will mean you're asking to be raped by men. We have been taught that our bodies belong to men and they can decide to do anything with them at any time.
The policing of women's dressings starts from childhood. As a little girl, I was told not to wear certain clothes, jewelry or hairstyle because they will tempt men. Victims of rape and abuse have been blamed for asking for it in their dressings countless times.
One day at my faculty, a porter stopped me in my tracks to ask what level I was. Normally, I don't answer when random people stop me because about 80% of the time, it's to say something about my appearance but I stopped on that day. I told him my level and he started ranting about these campus girls that are going around misleading innocent 100-level girls. I replied that the real danger 100-level girls were in was men like him looking for innocent girls to prey on.
The truth is that, no matter how she is dressed, a woman is always at risk of sexual violence. Rape is not caused by what the victim does or does not do. It is caused by the rapist. Policing women's dressing is not the solution to rape, dismantling the patriarchal system and its ideologies is.
Beauty Standards
Young girls and women are under a lot of pressure to be beautiful. As children, we are conditioned to believe that the ultimate goal of a woman is to be desired by men. While boys were described as diligent or adventurous, the best descriptions girls got were ones that refer to how great they look.
Due to eurocentrism, the beauty standards set for women are ridiculous and destructive. To be beautiful means to be tall, thin, and light-skinned. We grew up wishing for smaller bellies, lighter skin tones, straighter hair, or whatever the media decided a woman was supposed to look like.
Women are forced to focus on their physical appearance at all times. We have to wear uncomfortable things such as makeup and wigs that society has made us believe makes us look better. Unfortunately, the result of this is that a lot of women hate their bodies and this affects their self-esteem.
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
Furthermore, in an attempt to keep women subjugated in society, they are reduced to baby-making factories. This is why we are conditioned to believe motherhood is a gift and are denied access to abortion.
Society has made sure abortion is not easily accessible to Nigerian women by criminalizing it. A lot of women are forced into having children they do not want because they have no choice.
Antiabortionists pretend that their stand is in support of the right of the fetus to life, but the truth is that men just want to control everything in the world, including women's lives.
A person's body belongs only to them and only they can decide to do what they want with it. Nobody has a right to use another person's life for anything, not even to save theirs. You cannot be forced to donate blood or body organs to anybody even though people are dying on waiting lists. A dead person's body cannot be used in scientific research projects without their consent even though it'll help enhance our knowledge. Why then are women denied their right to bodily autonomy?
It doesn't matter whether or not the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman's life, if she doesn't want it in her body she has a right to get rid of it. A woman's body is not inherently the producer of children.
Sexual Autonomy
Also, a lot of times, women have no say in decisions about when, how, or with whom they have sex. We are expected to submit our bodies to pleasuring men whenever or however they want. There are always cases of women being victims of sexual violence from a young age.
While women and their bodies are sexualized by men, they are expected to remain "pure" and "innocent". During childhood, girls are taught to be chaste and are intentionally left clueless while boys are allowed to explore their sexuality. We are taught that our dignity is attached to sexual decency and that keeping our virginities till marriage is what makes us worthy of love.
As a result, women who are sexually active out of wedlock are shamed and bullied. Sex workers are constantly susceptible to domestic violence. They are raped, beaten and scammed, and forced to keep quiet about it. Victims of rape are subjected to more body policing through virginity tests to confirm if they were truly raped because nonvirgins cannot be "violated".
Women must have the freedom to have consensual sexual relationships without shame or stigmatization. They must be able to determine under what circumstances their sexual relationships are explored.
In conclusion, denying women bodily autonomy has no advantages whatsoever. It teaches women, from a young age, that their bodies belong to others and that their rights do not matter. It strengthens the narrative that women exist for recreational and reproductive purposes.
Our bodies belong only to us! We are not sex tools! We deserve body autonomy!
Put an end to the sexualization and objectification of women.
Great piece. Well done
'Denying women bodily autonomy has no advantages whatsoever. It teaches women, from a young age, that their bodies belong to others and that their rights do not matter. It strengthens the narrative that women exist for recreational and reproductive purposes.'
Simply put and to the point.