Inshinzi

2022 | Mixed Media, Stretched on Wood Frame

"Sit like a lady"
"Act like a lady"
"Do not do this, it's unlady-like"
Society tells girls and women
Written rules and a made-up moral code are stuffed down our throats
A dichotomy created between a good and bad woman
Defiance frowned up and punished
Labels thrown: "Inshinzi, igishegabo" they say in Kinyarwanda
Why should we act in a certain way to suit definitions of what we should be?
Why must we be defined by rules and codes we did not write for ourselves?
Why must we sit or stand or walk or talk or act "like a lady" as if it is protective in any way?
Why should being "someone" and not "beneath someone" earn a woman the inshinzi label?
A lady sits in a way in which she is most comfortable
A lady acts in a way in which she stays true to herself
Even if it means being labeled "inshinzi"

See more artwork by Angella Ilibagiza