One of the stickers given out by Reekperfume, founded by women for women, for the demo on Sat 21st in London
The news that President Trump is pursuing an aggressive anti-women policy, withdrawing international funding for abortion and endorsing the view that abortion is bad and women should be prevented from having recourse to it, and even punished, is utterly abhorrent to me. I feel terribly sorry for young women of today who are faced with a return to extreme patriarchal values and would encourage them to oppose such measure and reclaim their bodies, as indeed they did on the occasion of the anti-Trump demonstrations on 21st. However, that momentum has to be sustained.
We, as women, know that abortion is not a birth control method, but something we need to have in place in safe conditions in order to avail of it when needed. No woman likes having a termination, I do not know any woman who does it for the fun of it. What fun? It is a terrible experience and it is even worse when it is made illegal and women have to have recourse to backstreet abortion. Who wants that?
When I was 18, and still living in Italy, abortion had not yet been legalised. I do remember what it was like for those women who, for whatever reason, had to have it in secrecy. So many risked their lives because of lack of proper medical care. Is this what we want our daughters to go through?
Sexism is rampant, in 2017 and it seems to have emboldened. Female politicians face it - the murder of MP Jo Cox is a case in point. But also women who work in the corporate world. Only a few days ago the issue of a 'dress code' for women came up in the news: surprise, surprise, women, especially young women have to wear high heels and low cut blouses in order to be seen as appropriately dressed . I have nothing against high heels and low cut blouses per se, it's the fact they should be regarded as compulsory wear at work that disturbs me.
Photo by Stephanie Bonnefoy
There is no real equality for men and women and discrimination against women is truly getting worse. We are reverting to a status quo where women are increasingly seen as inferior. A few years ago inequality was less visible, now it has fully exploded and it seems to be OK, thanks to the likes of Donald J. Trump, to treat women condescendingly and sexually objectifying them.
Something has to be done.
On a different, and more cheerful note, I am sharing in this post some delightful pictures taken by Stephanie Bonnefoy and Sara Brudkiewicz.
Photo by Sara Brudkiewicz
Stephanie uses film and these were taken with a 35 mm camera, whereas Sara's work was inspired by the pre-Raphaelites but working with an older model, myself, rather than a young one, which was essential to pre-Raphaelite artists.
I love the results, don't you?
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