Mamta Sylviya Chand’s poem, The WAR on MY BODY, delves into the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV), exposing the systemic oppression faced by women and girls worldwide. It sheds light on abuses such as sexual harassment, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriages, and dowry violence, illustrating how GBV transcends culture, region, and religion.

The poem explores power imbalances that harm women’s bodies and spirits while highlighting the often-overlooked trauma experienced by marginalised groups, including women of colour, women with disabilities, and trans women. By addressing these diverse realities, the poem advocates for tailored solutions and reinforces the message that the personal is political, urging collective action to dismantle structures that perpetuate GBV.

This urgency is echoed in the National Research on Women's Health and Life Experiences in Fiji, which reveals alarming levels of violence against women in intimate relationships. Over 1 in 4 women face economic abuse, while 1 in 3 women endure sexual violence in their lifetime. Additionally, 72% of women report experiencing one or more forms of violence from their partners during their lifetime. These findings highlight the critical need for targeted interventions and comprehensive support systems to address gender-based violence in Fiji.

Mamta Sylviya Chand, an Indo-Fijian brown feminist and descendant of Girmitiyas, is a seasoned leader in Fiji and the Pacific's feminist and human rights movements. With over 20 years of experience, she has spearheaded initiatives like the Young Women in Feminist Leadership Programme and advanced advocacy for equity and intergenerational principles. Diagnosed in 2023 with severe to profound hearing loss and tinnitus, Mamta embraces her diagnosis as part of her identity and remains steadfast in her commitment to the movement.

The WAR on MY BODY
By Mamta Sylviya Chand

It began before I
It began with “It’s a GIRL” It began with her body,
With MY body
The beautiful gender non-conforming bodies

It began with the boys
Don’t act like a girl.”
The Sexist Misogynist culture
The Culture of Gender-Based Violence

An expression of Power Inequalities between women and men
In many forms
Sexual
Physical
Psychological
Economic
Female Infanticide
Honor Killings
Dowry Violence
Female Genital Mutilation
Forced marriage
Trafficking
Sexual Harassment
Marital Rape
Slut Shaming
Acid Attack
Murder
To name a few,

The Revolt,
The Suffrage
For Legal Equality
Political Rights
Freedom

The Revolt Against War
For Civil Rights
For Sexuality Rights
For Reproductive Rights
Critiquing Patriarchy
The division of labour
Capitalism
Equal Pay for Equal Work
Normative Heterosexuality

For Women of Color
For Social Equality
For Bodily Autonomy
“Personal became Political” “Personal is Political.”
The Revolt Post-Colonial
Post- Modern

Destabilising notions of
“Universal Womanhood”
Body
Gender
Sexuality
The Revolt
Intersectionality
Marginalisation
Consciousness of Oppression
Racism
Ageism
Classism
Ableism
Sexual Orientation

The Conventions, The Policies
The Laws, The Culture, The Religion, The Men
To “Protect” Me My Body
Her Body
Our diverse bodies

You kill me for accessing education,
You attack me with acid when I say NO
You rape me
You rape my body
You molest me when I am a baby
You molest me, the child bride
You rape me at a party
You rape me when I am unconscious
You rape me when I love you
You rape me when I do not love you
You rape me for loving a woman
You rape me for loving no one
You rape me when I am wearing a short skirt
You rape me when I am wearing a hijab\You rape me, a woman with disability
You rape me, a woman of colour
You rape me, a trans-woman
You rape me, the grandmother
You rape me, the mother
You rape me, the sister
You rape me, the wife
You rape me, the daughter

Every second, Every minute
Every hour, Every day, 365 days
You rape me, a WOMAN

You violate my existence
You violate my social, economic, political, and constitutional rights
You do not live my fear
You do not live my anger
You do not live my fight for survival
You do not live OUR HerStory

You do not get to tell me to bow down to your archaic, repressive dangerous religious tradition, culture
You do not get to tell me to respect
You do not get to tell me to be soft
You do not get to tell me to be loud
You do not get to tell me to marry
You do not get to tell me to be a mother
You do not get to tell me how to dress
You do not get to tell me how to behave
You do not get to tell me, “Women in my community are free from violence.”
You do not speak for them
You do not get to tell me that I am “emotional.”
You do not get to tell me that I cannot be a leader.

Here I am
You do not get to tell me your insignificant, ignorant perspectives on MY BODY.
Gender Equality, Feminism, Women’s Human Rights
Learn Unlearn, Relearn Your Privileges
Your cis-gender male privilege