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A cartoon entitled 'The Lottery of Indecency' perfectly encapsulates how women will be shamed for how they dress regardless of what they're wearing.
In response to the ban on burkinis from beaches in France, an anonymous illustrator has drawn a cartoon that sums up the myriad of dress standards which women are expected to meet. The cartoon argues that women are shamed if they dress conservatively or not, because everyone feels empowered to act as judge and jury on a woman's clothing choices.
The Twitter account @LaSauvageJaune, posted the cartoon on Tuesday, and it's already been shared over 8,000 times on Twitter.
The cartoon depicts a woman, the left side of her dressed in a burkini and a veil, the right side dressed in nothing but a mini skirt. The labels on each half of the woman show the contrasting insults and remarks the appearance typically receives. For instance the annotations on her head read:
Left:
You’re wearing a hijab! My eyes! You’re obedient for sure!
Right:
You look like a whore with your makeup. If you’re not wearing any makeup, you look neglected.
The judgement continues from the woman's head to her toes.
Left:
Burkini? A wetsuit but there’s a 'burk' in the word so it’s forbidden, undress yourself!
Right:
OH MY GOD a (woman’s) tit! Hide that, you should be ashamed, you don’t respect yourself!
Left:
Long skirt? Too religious! You don’t belong in a school.
Right:
Short skirt? Too sexual! Don’t be surprised if you’re raped. Erk, and you’re not shaved? it’s dirty, you should be ashamed, go shave!
Elaborating on the title, the cartoonist told Buzzfeed France:
In the lottery of indecency, the woman is the only loser.
It's the age old simplification of women into the two Marys. They're either characterised as the the Virgin Mary or as Mary Magdalen. Either way, women are judged.
More: A newspaper defined women by their shoes. The backlash was immediate and severe
More: This brilliant cartoon shows the French burkini ban is not about a woman's choice
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