On this past International Women’s Day, Yerevan Womens Center (WRC) marched through the streets of Armenia’s largest city brandishing signs against the Red Apple ritual symbolizing the of piercing the hymen, but the protest was largely modified to adapt to local sensitivities. Initially the center was going to walk down the street costumed as a huge apple but decided eventually to tone it down, as some might think it was a protest against the choice to keep one’s virginity.

“The march went really well,” said a staff member of the WRC, “we buried 5 apples in the yard, the media was there… but you know, there were so many disturbing blogs and mysogynist discussion created and stirred because of our march…. but whatever, it was still good.”

They carried signs that read “rights before flowers” and distributed leaflets marked with “don’t give up and think you are powerless.” As they marched, many men chanted insulting and sexist one-liners as the marchers explained that International Women’s Day wasn’t a cheap rip off of Valentines Day. It ended with a burial ceremony of apples, not as expected in a public park, but in the Women’s Center backyard.

In brief, a normal protest. A lot of women have analyzed The Ritual of the Red Apple as being an application of patriarchy. The ritual itself is at its root a test of bridal virginity. This a problematic issue, because of double standards, but also generally one that diminishes women’s mobility and status before and within a partnership of marriage, while it reinforces the bride’s body as family property.

However, Armenians (mostly men) see “problems” in defying traditions as well. In a society where there is no gender analysis in the view of “tradition” and “culture” generally, this whole initiative sparked very intense and fiery discussions online and in the streets which I see as a much needed stirring of a patriarchal society’s denial that “anything is wrong”. Blogs indicated a strong link that cultural integrity is associated with preserving female purity and where desecration of rituals is seen as the evil work of feminism and not say, oh…western capitalist imperialism, with its SUVs, pollution, and popification of traditional Armenian dance and music.

The police told the marchers to turn back. This was not the first time this happened. But on International Women’s Day, this was too much. After some negotiations, the march continued. Local men, including the infiltrators also harassed the women by chanting: “Uzum enq! [We want!], Hima! [Now!].” Which i am assuming means “we want it now”, sexually speaking. Of course, in the fight for dignity, when it rains, it pours.

A local female artist and musician said of this misunderstanding of women: “you know, Mel (moment of silence) this march showed me that men have a deep hate of women…it was so apparent…now I understand that when my dad would beat my mom, it wasn’t just that, I think now that he really really hated her.”

Another added: “They are just a bunch of fascists, I had to take him [a man chanting] aside, to prevent the other girls from getting discouraged. He was all red, huffing and puffing, I called him a fascist because that’s what he is, a nationalist who thinks women’s dignity is anti-nationalist. Then i told him to think of his sister and mother a bit. That shut him up, and quickly too.”

The Women’s center still has a lot of work to do not only to change things in society but simply to exist without resistance. But is that new? Is that only in Armenia? Far from it. Armenia can pride itself as one of the more liberal and open minded nations in the Caucasus region and the only reason criticism is so rampant is because at least it permits it to be that way. Women protesters in Istambul on March 8th, for example, were severely beaten by police. As a rich ancient cultural center Armenians are justified in fearing the annhiliation of their culture, but on the other hand, when men prevent women from voicing violence against them, the men clearly are ‘self-annhiliating’ their own soceity. 50% is 50%.

As one piece of art hanging in Utopiana exclaims: “Brnutyune Atad che” or “violence is not a tradition!” The point of all these debates should be whether or not the Red Apple is violent psychologically and physically. If not, no other productive discussion can continue.

In the end, the women laid a garland and a commemorative picture of the Red Apple in the backyard of the Women’s center and buried the five apples underground, where they belong. They broke the symbolic association of apples with the “purity and chastity” between women’s legs. I think these women have more cultural integrity than anyone in the country who professes dominance as a nationalist value.

* Photos on this post by Onnik Krikorian, licensed under Creative Commons

When its not Harper bashing long- earned rights such as equal pay, chewing away at access to safe abortion or closing the Women’s Commission, it’s Father’s Rights or Fathers-For Life groups lashing out at feminists for not hearing God’s words, or their words, or whoever’s words.

This time around, a right-wing Quebec religious pro-life group ”Quebec Campagne-vie”  (Quebec Life Campaign) will be performing a 40 day vigil in front of the Morgentaler Clinic, a place providing safe accessible abortions, on the corner of St-Joseph and St-Laurent.  They are protesting what they see as baby-burning child-eating, godless women who seek to put an end to their pregnancy, for countless and sometimes desperate reasons.

Quite poignantly, their vigil begins during Lent, a Christian period of fasting and prayer preceding Easter.  It represents the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan.  As I said: godless, baby-eating witches….

La Riposte, a grassroots pro-choice feminist collective, are gathering women once or twice a week to oppose the vigil in hopes of outnumbering Quebec Campagne-vie.

Their gatherings are non-mixed, simply meaning ‘no boys allowed’ which I believe is designed to make a point and show the integrity of the cause and the simplicity of the issue at hand.  This is not a battleground for bigger moral dilemmas, it’s not a war of ideas, it’s simply a ‘female’ issue.

The collective also organizes massive reappropriative workshops and conferences such as discussions on witches and other sterotypes associated with free women.

Like women’s bodies, abrotion clinics are renowned for being the battlegrounds of bigger social and moral  issues.  In the US and Canada clinics have been bombed and some doctors even killed.  Staff and members are often stalked and physically and mentally threatened.

Some pro-lifers have taken to more drastic means such as arson to prevent people from using these facilities.  In the U.S, 3 doctors, 2 clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort have been killed in the past 10 years.

Women who often go through a very difficult period before deciding to abort often, as in the case of the Vigil at the Morgentaller,  face a parade of loud, intimidating men and women screaming:  ”you will go to hell”  ”baby killer” and ”murderer.”  Sometimes they brandish huge photos of (photoshopped or not) mutliated, sacrified and burned foetuses.  This time, the vigil will simply make a point about guilt and sin and the spirit of babies without the extreme fits associated with pro-lifers.

The battle for free and safe abortions has been incredibly rough in Canada and the states.  For example, abortion in Canada is not yet technically legal as there is no law indicating whether it is legal or not.  This means officials and legislators (incidentlaly +90% men) do not want to debate, know or think about the issue. Take that for complacency!

In Brazil and other south American countries women who are found to have had  (illegal or backalley) abortions are targets of fines, risk imprisonment and are forced to do community work in schools, kindergartens or nurseries.  Who says the state can’t psychologically harass you!

Quebec’s grassroots feminism is strong and alive, if not massively opposed and underground.  These women, young and old, fight uncompromisingly for the autonomy of women’s bodies.   Simply put they want people to: “address social issues, not women’s bodies” and “keep your laws out of my vag, out of my body.”  The lack of women’s rights to our bodies has often been associated with the historical view associating femininity with a meek mind and therefore lack of control over our own fate and bodies.

As I say, I am pro-life AND pro-choice and in other words, they say ”I’m pro-faith, pro-family, pro-health and pro-choice.”  Use that for a banner!

Contact La Riposte to make your Lent period more exciting: their next meeting is Thursday March 12 at 5:30 , corner St-Joseph and St-Laurent near the clinic.  You can also reach them by e-mail at collectiflariposte@gmail.com

Armenians celebrate weddings by chanting and dancing outside and inside their homes, brandishing cakes and foods and inviting the neighbors over.  During the The Red Apple, which is a similar celebration on the day following the wedding, the family of the groom brandishes a meter long sword topped by a Red Apple. They parade and dance in the street with the Apple and the sword.  While not everyone practices this tradition, as there are different types of classes, families, interests and localities in Armenia, everyone knows of The Red Apple.

When one thinks of it for a few seconds, this is the piercing of a “fruit” by a very phallic and deadly tool. This is a celebration of the woman loosing her hymen. At first when the women at Utopiana, a NGO for contemporary arts, told me of this celebration I was not sure what “an apple stuck on a sword” implied.  I said: “so what?” but quickly realized the red apple is the vulva/blood/flesh and the sword was a phallus, or masculine power. The rite itself may be “cute” but the symbols are clearly violent and patriarchal – for example, the sword has to be oversized (not just a regular knife) and of course, it is also a deadly tool.

Thus the Women’s Resource Center in Yerevan (Armenia’s largest city) will “Bury the Red Apple” on March 8th, International Women’s Day, by performing a funeral procession towards Republic Square, the town center.

The funeral rite will be stylized as Armenian. We will lead Mr. Apple, someone dressed in a 3D apple outfit, with chains, carrying flowers and a tombstone while a woman-priest (a teacher from the women’s center will dress up as one) will chant a modified reading of “funeral biblical scripts” replaced by verses about the end of the Apple. We will end the walk in a “lover’s park” in front of Congress Hotel where we will rip the Red Apple apart and bury the pieces in the ground. As a final celebration we will pour cement onto the spot and inscribe “Here lays the Red Apple” (“…..-2009). A party in the park will follow.

I am sure the priests ready to admit the positive side of our protest, are rare. Men here deny a lot to conserve what they see as national Armenian values. The point of such a colorful protest is the theatrical value of such an old issue- a lot of women will hear of this burial through the media (the modern theatrical component protesting the old traditions) and I am sure a lot of women will secretly agree with its powerful message which at once both a mockery and a pleasure filled comedy for change.

I, Melanie, performed in a jam for the first time in my life wearing an Official Man’s outfit.  needless to say – this included his face too! My costume was made with a cardboard version of Stephen Harper’s face,  on “older lady” grey wig and a suit & tie. As part of OTL, I made a public appearance to theatrically denounce Conservative Politics and Harpers impending cuts for arts funding.

Our presence was timely; Along with OTL, (the real) Harper was in Longueil that afternoon, giving a speech at the Sandman hotel to boost his position in the coming Elections. Harper himself would have been proud and shocked at the delicatesse of his costumed characterization. I was personally hoping to shake the ol’man’s hand, if he decided to come out of the police-caded hotel parking lot with his personal security vehicles, to remind him of his subconscious – if he has any! Imagine the media shots of that one! “Harper has humor – shakes hand with his critical twin!”

The Dramatic line of our performance was very simple- Harper (me) was simply actively abusing, mocking the artists, who were also OTL crew. We joined les Jeunes patriotes – the Young Quebec Patriots- also protesting Harper’s presence that day at the hotel. Being mostly a crew of anglophones and allophones, some of us were reluctant at to join them at first. We quickly warmed up to their immediate friendliness, perhaps both of us recognizing that in a parallel struggle, solidarity is sweeter than difference. As i said, hey gave me warm welcome – well at least after they Booed me in (my character) . The “starving-artists” jumped through the crowd creating gentle debauchery and mocking  Harper’s insistence on chasing them around and “oppressing them” with his cuts. He was being quite the dictator! I took a few media shots holding Hamlet’s skull, giving the finger (flipping off) the media, young patriots and the cameras.

Costumed Harper also got his fun from kicking and breaking the artist’s canvasses, chasing them with red paint. Basically i tried embodying the Harper-ego, most apparent to those affected by his cuts and such.

The media were very friendly with us – and with me- asking me to “explain myself” in Character! “Monsieur Harper! Que pensez-vous de ces artistes?” Woa Woa! i didn’t practice my Calgarian French enough to pull that one off!

We also met a bunch of artists also protesting there called “SALA” – Spoiled Artists Liberation Army – who were supportive and OTL made a few contacts while also performing a few  chants for the cameras.

As usual, the jam did not go as planned- people didn’t show up and my wig kept falling off! We were supposed to portray a cigar-smoking Stephen grabbing cash from the donation box amidst a circle of starving working artists. I even intended to take a bite out of their lunch, a carefully prepared margarine sandwhich.  Alas, we had to limit ourselves to a mere 3 person crew, of which 2 artists were simply ‘running away’ from the abusive PM.

It was all very lovely. I even got to dress as a Man of State! My long hair flowing out of the mask, I wondered how many people even got the critical gender intonation of our piece. We, incidentally also included a line about the Konservatives’ attack on women’s reproductive rights; how timely and odd in this context! But OTL is certainly known for it’s mastery of awkward excess.