An offensive word for some, a magical mystery for others, an ordinary part of the body for many, ‘puki’—vagina—is a subject that is not discussed enough, so someone finally wrote a book about it.
Anvil Publishing, Inc. recently released under its Pride Press imprint ‘Puki-Usap,’ a translation by Beverly Wico Sy of Swedish writer Liv Strömquist’s ‘Fruit of Knowledge: The Vulva vs. the Patriarchy.’
It is a history of how women’s genitalia have been praised, blamed, used and abused, and politicized by the men who control the public discourse and the construction of culture around women and women’s bodies.
The stigma and sense of shame about women instilled by the patriarchy is largely responsible for the scant public discussion about normal female bodily functions such as menstruation and menopause, which puts pubescent girls and mature women at a disadvantage in terms of information. Pregnancy and childbirth are softened and idealized, the pains of the latter glorified, and wifehood and motherhood touted as the ultimate roles of a woman.
Using the medium of comics, Strömquist explores such issues using a feminist lens that demystifies and destigmatizes the puki. Various female characters act as narrators in this collection of graphic essays with Siy’s translation fitting comfortably in the speech bubbles Strömquist drew.
In the chapter “Mga Lalaki na Lubhang Nahumaling sa Bahagi ng Katawan na Kung Tawagin ay ‘Ari ni Babae’” (Men Who Have Been Too Interested in the Female Genitalia), some of the worst male offenders against womanhood are named and shamed.
For instance, John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of cornflakes, forbade women from even touching their own puki. He wrote a book claiming that female masturbation brought about cancer of the uterus, epilepsy, insanity, and feebleness of the body and intellect. He also advocated wiping carbolic acid on the vulva to prevent self-pleasure. Certainly the burns caused by the acid would have brought about quite a different sensation.
And that’s not the worst of what men have done to women in the name of religion, science, politics, and culture.
Meanwhile, in the chapter “Ang Baliktad na Palong ng Tandang” (Upside-Down Rooster Comb) Strömquist draws what female genitalia and the reproductive system really look like, which is often nothing like what young boys imagine it to be.
Strömquist also points out that the vulva has consistently been negated and erased throughout history; as some philosophers insisted, a vagina is nothing but the absence of a penis. Cultural historian Mithu M. Sanyal is quoted as putting it this way: “Ang kapukihan ng mga babae ay madalas na inilalarawan bilang bakanteng espasyo, isang uri ng kakapusan, o kawalan ng titi.”
For many women, them’s fighting words, and feminists have for decades been pushing back against this patriarchal mindset that dominates the societies of the world, and that has contributed to the detriment of the status and condition of women over centuries.
By means of comics, Strömquist conveys all this information in a way that is simple, engaging, and interesting, while Siy’s translation makes it accessible to Filipinos.
Thanks to Anvil’s general manager lawyer Andrea Pasion-Flores, Anvil did a wonderful job publishing this book, which is a solid contribution to the literature on gender studies, sexuality, and women’s studies. We look forward to more from Anvil and its Pride Press.
As my friend writer Alma Anonas-Carpio said about this book, “Let me give the author, translator and publishing house a standing ovulation.” Damn, I wish I’d written that. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO