Womanhood

2023 - ongoing

A reflection on the imposition of men’s views

on female sexuality and women’s objectification

across time.

It raises the question: ‘How has our behaviour and

self-perception as women been influenced by the

behaviour and perception of men towards us?’

The other day, I realised I don’t see myself

as a woman. I am someone - an identity.

However, to be a woman, or to be perceived

as a woman, is an imposed condition, just

like a disease.

Everything around me is shaped by

this [perception]. The way someone

approaches me, their assumptions about my

preferences and habits, my reactions

to what I’m told…

But I am free from this condition.

Women’s objectification = lack of representation

of our own vision of sexuality = but rather an

imposition of men’s vision of sexuality over us.

Female objectification goes hand in hand with

the negation of our own innate sexuality

‘Womanhood’ was first developed in the ‘Workshop

de Fotografia Documental’ at IPCI under the guidance

of António Pedrosa.

Its focus is on the study and reflection of men’s

perception of female sexuality and , consequently,

women’s awareness of it. Through the collection of

photographs, literature, personal reflections, and

other forms of media,  I aimed to expose the audience

to the blatant subjection of women to their

objectification and to men’s ideas of female sexuality

across different moments in time. A question is

posed: ‘How has our behaviour and

self-perception as women been influenced by the

behaviour and perception of men towards us?’