Women. Since the beginning of time we were objectified in society by our bodies, and seen like a sin of temptation. Our bodies became an objective message to society, instead of a subjective way we as humans were feeling. We were taught that as a Woman we merely exist to satisfy a man’s needs. We are a prize to be won yet we weren't allowed to play the game.
For the game was designed to keep us seen, but never heard.
“The “giveness’” of the female body as naturally weaker, more inferior, less stable than the male body–as different and deviant-has been used in the recent past, and continues to be used in the present, as evidence of women’s moral and intellectual inferiority”. (Howson, 2013:61).
Berger explains that while men are called to action, women just appear.
“One might simplify this by saying: Men act and Women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between Men and Women but also the relation of Women to themselves. The surveyor of Woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus, she turns herself into an object- and most particularly an object of vision: a sight”. (Berger, 2012:50).
The game was designed to keep us seen, but never heard. Women must act the part, to be a beautiful vision of sight, nothing more or less. To be scrutinized, categorized and labeled is to be expected. What a woman wants doesn’t matter, yet what a man needs is the basis of our existence. Millet argues that society has always seen a woman’s sexual functions as impure. Reinforcing the idea that women should suppress who they are and behave in such a way that deters this narrative.
“The feelings that a woman’s sexual functions are impure is both world-wide and persistent. One sees evidence of it everywhere in literature, in myth, in primitive and civilized life”. (Millet,n.d. :47).
Here, Millet reinforces the idea that the objectification of women is not a recent phenomenon but is in fact a systemic oppression that has existed for hundreds of years.
Women have been objectified throughout time. There is evidence to support this as a general societal concept. We are aware of this in our daily lives, however there has never been a more evident time of objectification like our current events. Following the supreme courts leaked information stating that Roe V wade could be abolished; Many believe this was an amendment created to protect abortion rights. Yet, few are aware that this amendment was not exactly created to do just that.
The 9th amendment in simple terms is part of the Bill of Rights. It says that all the rights not listed in the constitution belong to the people, not the government. The rights of the people are not limited to just the rights listed in the constitution. Some examples of this amendment are Roe V Wade, the right to vote and the Right to privacy.
For women, this amendment is being brought into question through the possibility of the removal of Roe V Wade. A decision by the supreme court in which the court ruled IN FAVOR that the constitution of the United States protects a pregnant women’s L I B E R T Y to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
Why this is being questioned is beyond inexplicable, not having the right to choose what to do with our own body is a direct indication of how we are viewed in society’s eye as inferior to men. The question then becomes where do we go from here, and how many more right’s will be stripped from us in the near future. Will we lose other freedoms? Such as the right to vote? The only thing that is clear, Our voice is being silenced.