Trigger Warning: Mentions of Physical Harm
Instructions before reading
1. Find a piece of cloth 10 feet long and 2 inches wide
2. Find a pair of children’s shoes
3. Bend all toes except the big one under and into the sole of the foot. Wrap the cloth around these toes and then around the heel. Bring the heel and toes as close together as possible. Wrap the full length of the cloth as tightly as possible
4. Squeeze foot into children’s shoes
5. Walk
6. Imagine that you are 5 years old
7. Imagine being like this for the rest of your life
— Andrea Dworkin, Woman Hating
This is no random experiment—this was the lived reality of millions of women, spanning generations, in one of the most grotesque violations of female bodily autonomy in history.
Bound by tradition: footbinding in China
Footbinding is the custom of binding the feet of young women with tight bandages to change their shape and size. This practice was prevalent in late Imperial China and lasted a whopping thousand years, from the 10th century to the early 20th century.
When young girls reached the age of 5 or 6, their feet were bound together tightly with bandages in a way that all the toes, except the biggest, were folded back into the sole. The bandages were then wrapped around the heel with extreme force to bring the toes and the heel as close as possible. It was imperative to use extreme pressure during binding so as to break the toe bones, the only way the toes would bend inward. This process was repeated till the entire length of a 10-foot bandage was wound around the foot. After both the feet were bound, the young girls were forced to wear small shoes, typically 3 to 4 inches long and coerced to “walk” regularly, to ensure blood circulation. One can only imagine how excruciatingly painful this entire process would have been, especially for a young girl.
The binding stayed for 2 to 3 years, until the toes completely bent inward, resulting in a foot shaped like a “new moon.” The desired foot length was between three to four inches. This foot was called the “golden lotus,” and this soon became a mark of beauty and status.
Tracing the origins of footbinding
Although the origins of this custom are widely debated, most sources trace it back to early 10th-century Southern China.
Emperor Li Yu of the Southern Tang dynasty is said to have commissioned a golden lotus adorned with jewels and pearls, on which he asked his concubine, Yao Niang, to bind her feet in white silk and perform a dance. Yao Niang then danced on the tips of her bound feet, captivating the entire court with her graceful movements.
Footbinding soon transitioned into a common cultural practice, with everyone from the nobility to the working classes attempting to imitate the perceived aesthetics of the bound foot. The narratives endorsing this practice were rampant. The wildest of these was the idea that a smaller foot increased the folds of the vagina, thereby enhancing sexual pleasure for men. The widespread adoption of the practice was fuelled by such narratives, often rooted more in myth than reality.
But in actuality, the practice was merely a means of control, a vehicle to ensure female chastity, because bound feet ensured that women could literally not “run around.” This institution guaranteed the fidelity and legitimacy of children.
Through feminist lenses
The practice of footbinding is truly terrifying. This one custom is an embodiment of all forms of violence perpetrated on the female body and psyche, from physical mutilation to an attack on identity, an attack on the relationship a woman has with her body.
This custom has been extensively researched, documented, and analysed by anthropologists, medical experts, and historians. Feminist thinkers have time and again highlighted the misogynistic roots of this practice.
Among these, a profound analysis of this institution is offered by Andrea Dworkin in her book “Woman Hating.” She argues that this custom was a calculated effort to curtail female autonomy and reinforce patriarchal power structures. Dworkin writes, “Footbinding was a political institution which reflected and perpetuated the sociological and psychological inferiority of women; footbinding cemented women to a certain sphere, with a certain function—women were sexual objects and breeders.”
Dworkin’s analysis delves into the psychological scars left by this practice:
“Standards of beauty describe in precise terms the relationship that an individual will have to her own body. They prescribe her mobility, spontaneity, posture, gait, the uses to which she can put her body. They define precisely the dimensions of her physical freedom. And, of course, the relationship between physical freedom and psychological development, intellectual possibility, and creative potential is an umbilical one.”
When viewed through a feminist lens, it becomes evident that footbinding was more than just a mere tradition. It served a larger purpose as an institution that reinforced the subjugation of women. Though different perspectives have surfaced over the years, the consensus remains clear: footbinding is a stark reminder of the lengths to which societies have gone—and still go—to control women’s bodies and movement.
Contemporary parallels
Even today, very little has changed. Most institutions embolden the desire to control women’s bodies, and by extension, their mobility, self-actualisation, and most importantly, sexuality.
Throughout history, traditional practices have functioned to limit women’s autonomy. This is observed across societies. Corsetry, for instance, was prevalent in Europe during the Modern Age, enforcing societal expectations and restraint on women. Chhaupadi is a centuries-old Hindu tradition of menstrual seclusion still practiced in Nepal, requiring women and girls to stay in secluded huts during menstruation. The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still widespread in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, voiding women of their fundamental rights.
Post Trump’s re-election, White Nationalist podcaster Nick Fuentes tweeted, “Your body, my choice. Forever,” to rebuke abortion rights and gender equality. The usage of this phrase skyrocketed very quickly, triggering a wave of online harassment against women. Social media platforms like X and TikTok witnessed a staggering number of posts calling for repealing women’s voting rights. This was amplified by male supremacist influencers and communities, perpetuating several other misogynistic agendas. This quickly spread to real-life incidents and into physical spaces, targeting young women in schools and universities.
The never-ending struggle for female bodily autonomy
These phenomena illustrate that the struggle for female bodily autonomy is not just a contemporary issue but one that spans centuries and cultures and remains profoundly relevant today. Solidarity with movements advocating for full bodily autonomy is vital, but it is equally important to discourse the patriarchal practices that have existed over centuries and their everlasting impact. It is also important to honour the relentless struggles of millions of women throughout history in securing this fundamental right.
These stories allow us to reflect on how most problems are not isolated incidents but systemic problems deeply rooted in patriarchy. This awareness is essential to conceiving solutions that are not just temporary fixes but reforms aimed at addressing the root causes of inequality. Also, these stories invite individuals to acknowledge their patriarchal privileges—particularly those who have been excluded from such oppressive practices.
Finally, these conversations offer a space to discuss patriarchal trauma. By acknowledging this, we can begin the process of healing, not just for women but for all who have been affected by the toxic legacies of patriarchy. In confronting the foundations of our systems, we move closer to a future where female bodily autonomy is not a struggle but a universally guaranteed right.
