What is it about the power of a woman free in mind and body that has been perceived
as so dangerous throughout history? In the past, the Old Testament command, ‘thou
shalt not suffer a witch to live’, was taken literally. Tens of thousands of people were
executed for maleficia, the alleged crime of evil deeds through magic, from the witch
hunts in Europe to the Salem trials in America. The vast majority of these were women.
Like the ultimate conspiracy theory, anything you couldn’t explain – from a crop failing
to a child falling ill – could be put down to the influence of a supposedly wicked woman.
These were often destitute widows, eking out an existence as healers on the fringes of
society, or younger women whose seductive powers could easily be attributed to magic.
Women could be accused of witchcraft for having an independent sex life, for
speaking their mind on politics or religion, or for dressing differently. Had I lived in earlier
times, I could have been burnt at the stake many times over for simply being myself.
The accusation of witchcraft has been used to control and silence women in almost
all societies and in every century. Joan of Arc was put to death by fire in 15th-century
France for idolatry and heresy, including wearing men’s clothing. The initial charges
against her included witchcraft, and she was accused of dancing near a fairy tree at
night – textbook witchy behaviour.
It is so ludicrous that it almost seems funny, until you consider that a woman dancing
or singing in public is viewed as illegal or indecent in many countries today. Iranian girls
who post videos of themselves dancing are challenging what the law and religious
dogma in their countries still deem unacceptable behaviour for women, six centuries later.
Since time immemorial, women who rebel against what is considered normal by
society – even unintentionally – have been labelled as unnatural, weird, wicked, and
dangerous. What is surprising is the extent to which this kind of myth and prejudice has
persisted throughout the centuries and still colours the world we live in.
It is startling how often women who run for political office in democratic countries
are described as witches. Bring together a group of strong women, and before too long
someone will brand them a ‘coven’ – the technical term, to be clear, for a gathering
of witches meeting at night to consort with the devil. Women who stand up for human
rights in many countries are still labelled ‘deviant’, ‘bad mothers’, ‘difficult’ or ‘loose’.
In my work, I travel to countries where I know that, if I were a citizen there, my beliefs
and actions as a woman could land me in jail or expose me to danger. Female human
rights defenders across the world are incarcerated for their political views or for defending
themselves or others, with courage I can hardly imagine. For all our modern advances,
the independence and creative energy of women is still frequently seen as a dangerous
force to be controlled, often in the name of religion, tradition or culture.ELLE.COM/UK September 2O19 165MALEFICENT: adj. causing or capable
of producing evil or mischief; harmful or baleful
(C17: from Latin maleficent-, from maleficus, wicked,
prone to evil, from malum, evil). Malefice: n. (archaic), a wicked
deed or enchantment.