b'Short Essays Nell Westonhave a choice in whether they eat or not, surely they cannotthey may be harassed. Although this may appear to be a have the choice to vote or not, making the public awarestretch, this notion has been proven through the feminist of the different ways women were having their autonomyperformance art of Yoko Ono. In 1964 Ono performed taken away. This demonstrates how allowing ones bodyCut Piece (Bryan-Wilson 2003: 101) wherein she asked her to endure hardship can create symbolic imagery whichaudience to cut off her clothes bit by bit, which has been can thus be transgressive. The Suffragettes felt theirinterpreted as a literalisation of undressing as violence actions were a symbolic act of heroic martyrdom (Grantagainst the female body (Bryan-Wilson 2003: 103). Even 2019: 55), and not only did their endangering themselvesthough the audience had the option to cut tiny pieces emphasise how committed they were to their cause, butaway, there were moments of the piece where audience it prompted a response from the authorities of violencemembers go furtherfor example a man cut off the and force. The WSPU published the powerful images offront of her bra, and another cut off the strap (DiRuggiero forcible feeding (Grant 2019: 63) in order to demonstrate2017)which then prompted Ono to cover up her body the governments dependence on violence, which suggests(DiRuggiero 2017). Whilst this was a piece of performance how the Suffragettes were tactical enough to use theirart, and not a protest, the imagery and how the piece bodies torment in order to get the public on their side.unfolds nevertheless supports the idea that nudity has its The Suffragettes have described their hunger-strikes as aimplications of vulnerability and danger (Bryan-Wilson distinctly feminine tactic of protest (Grant 2019: 67), and2003: 103), and that as women in this climate we cannot I believe this tactic is taking the fact that the female bodytrust that we will not be harmed by men, as in this moment is viewed as vulnerable in one way or another and usingOnos body is taken as a body stripped violated by the that to their advantage, thus placing their own bodiesaudiences gaze (Bryan-Wilson 2003: 103). The piece has in harms way to create a provocation. As Gale states,been described as more like rape than an art performance womens use of their own bodies [is] a means of critiquing(Schwendener 2001: 139). This awareness of the danger their position as women (Gale 2015: 315): they utilise thein mens response to feminist protest is furthered by a ways the world perceives them, and this invites the societycomment by a member of another feminist protest group, to take a second-look (Gale 2015: 315) at those women,which states Ive tracked down my fear and its a man and in turn what their position (Gale 2015: 315) really is.who is faceless whos going to hurt me in some way Im The intelligent, even braver part of this tactic, is then tofrightened that some man is going to hurt me (Evans understand and use the fact that in this patriarchal society,2003: 294)to be topless, as FEMEN are, or to participate the use of violence as a force to silence protestors will mostin any feminist protest is to put yourself in a position of likely occur, which when your body is viewed as weakdanger and vulnerability against a patriarchal society that (Grant 2019: 4), allows those on the opposing side to beviews you as an object. But FEMEN, in their manifesto viewed as villains by the public. state our weapon is our Naked Breasts (Chevrette & Hess 2019: 420), and within their practice, go through Contemporary feminist protest also employs this tactictraining that enables activists to re-experience their of self-sacrifice of the body, however in new and equallybodies through powerful vulnerability (Chevrette & effective and transgressive ways. FEMEN, a UkrainianHess 2019: 417), taking that vulnerability and that fear and feminist activist group, use their bodies in their protest inmaking it their strength. In their opinion, the shedding controversial (Chevrette & Hess 2019: 417) ways, theirof clothes inprotest changes the [body] from a passive trademark topless protests using their bodies as a canvasvessel of patriarchal imprisonment to a vehicle of active (Chevrette & Hess 2019: 420), painting their feministresistance (Chevrette & Hess 2019: 422). For example, slogans upon their breasts. Whereas I feel the Suffragettesthe sexualisation of womens bodies under the patriarchy, used the fact that women were viewed as weak to theirwhilst forcing vulnerability onto women, on the contrary advantage, FEMEN use the fact that womens bodies arealso makes breasts a powerful and almost untouchable part viewed as sexual objects and as something inappropriateof womens protest. One member of FEMEN reported that to their advantage, exposing their naked bodies insteadduring a protest the paint [was] rubbing off of [her] breasts of hiding them away in order to deliberately reclaimonto the officers uniform he [stepped] back holding bodily agency (Chevrette & Hess 2019: 421). In a worldhis gloves in the air to show he [was] not touching [them] which views the female body as something men have aand then the other [officers] stepped back too (Chevrette right to, to go outside topless, as FEMEN do, women are& Hess 2019: 429). This provided the women with more putting themselves in a situation where they are aware thatroom to spread out from the authoritys clutches. 23'