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Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era.
The bottom line message of OBOS is that our bodies are our own. The body you have is the only one you have got. The book offers a wealth of easy-to-understand accurate information on how our bodies work, what makes them sick, what to do to feel better, and importantly, how all of this plays out in the larger context of the politics of health and of sexism. In keeping with its feminist underpinnings, the latest updated 2008 special edition for South Asia, retains the spirit and much of the content of the earlier editions and begins with, "For women, life can often seem like a beauty pageant", going on to say "Being born female automatically makes us contestants, whether we like it or not." From Brazilian bikini waxing to hysterectomies, it’s all about how we make decisions about what to keep and what to rid ourselves of. We can describe facts about our bodies and our experiences, but each of us experiences these in different ways, and that is fine. OBOS affirms and celebrates these differences. Literally hundreds of people (including men) have contributed to this book, sharing their own experiences and stories. It is an especially important book for women in this region. In countries where matters of sexuality are not openly spoken about, many young women don’t know even the basic facts of their anatomy. Women who are not aware of the lines between an act of consent and one of abuse, will find a friend who patiently defines these along with providing markers of what to look out for in a relationship. For those worrying about ageing, please note that sexual well-being definitely does not end at menopause, and there’s a lot to look forward to. For women with disabilities, there is useful information integrated right through the book. There is something for each of us — the woman who wants a baby but can’t conceive, the woman who doesn’t want one, the woman who might have just lost one, the older parent dealing with the fact that her kids are too busy dealing with their own lives to pay too much attention to her needs, the lesbian trying to build supportive relationships, the woman dealing with the possible loss of a breast or her uterus — we’re all in the book. Because sexuality is one of the ways in which women’s lives are controlled, the book gives it a lot of attention, teaching us not only to love our body but also how to make love to it. OBOS has sections on a range of issues: Taking Care of Ourselves, Relationships and Sexuality, Reproductive Choices, Childbearing, Growing Older, Medical Problems and Procedures, and, Knowledge is Power. The book includes material relevant to the realities of women in South Asia. Don’t be daunted by its size. At around 800 pages it is a hefty tome, but remember you don’t have to read all of it at once. Dip into it as you like — each section can stand alone and you don’t have to proceed in a linear manner. — WFS
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Bodies, Ourselves, a book that was first written in 1970 was the
result of 12 women regularly meeting around their kitchen tables to
discuss their bodies, health, and sexuality as a result of being fed up
of being paternalised, spoken down to and treated as morons by doctors
and by men. Since then, it has gone on to become a classic and has been
published in 29 editions in different languages around the world. It has
touched the lives of thousands of women, be they individuals or groups
of social activists. It helped create a women’s health movement and
changed the way many people think about health care.