THE FEMALE STIGMATA
Thirty Years to Choosing the Body I Love
The Female Stigmata
Thirty Years to Choosing the Body I Love
Heather Thomas hasn’t only written a book; she’s created a movement that welcomes and embraces women. ‘The Female Stigmata’ is about breaking out of sociocultural norms that limit women’s perception of their own exceptionality.
Her memoir is a coming-of-age story about an unexceptional girl navigating her world and the exceptional experiences she encounters. She discovers that she is exceptional and everyone else is too.
In the first part, we meet the main character as a young girl looking forward to burgeoning womanhood. She has been told what to expect but finds herself disillusioned. The second part is where she attempts to erase these traditional roles and try on new skins. In the final part, our main character makes an unexpected decision that defines her own womanhood.
- Theme: Breasts
- Theme: Body & Body Image
- Theme: Sexuality & Being Sexualized
- Theme: Trauma & Healing
- Theme: Being Mothered & Mothering
Definition: ‘Female Stigmata’
As you can see from the definition to the right, this term originates as a mark of disgrace, infamy, stained, branded or physical disfigurements.
We can be ‘branded’ or disgraced in many ways, not all of which are visible to the eye. Have you ever felt marked in a way that has impacted your ability to love yourself of show up in the world? I have, and it sucks.
Adding ‘FEMALE’ to the word ‘STIGMATA’ brings our awareness to the nature of the feminine body and how our culture has certain expectations for women and girls. This indicates that perhaps our breasts and womanly bodies are, in fact, ‘brands’ that mark us in advance of our intellect, ideas and viability in the professional world.
*The etymology of stigma and stigmatize is fascinating and can be found here at https://etymology.net/stigma-stigmatize/ (Benjamin Veshi).
So, why use the term 'Female Stigmata'?
Have you ever experienced the weight of cultural or societal expectations based on your sex?
We decided to take the definition of the term ‘STIGMATA’ from its roots meaning scarred of branded, and consider how women and girls are moulded to meet sociocultural expectations from the moment of their birth. It is as if we are marked or branded by our breasts and bodies long before they even mature. Women have been restricted in their words, actions, manner and dress for centuries. Our way of being, our personal soul alchemy, has been limited within our families, society and the workplace. Feminist and ‘Me Too’ movements have helped bring awareness and action, but we have a long way to go before we can be seen as equals in this make-dominated landscape.
The title of this book and Heather Thomas’ mentoring work with women speaks to the generations who have had no other option but to bow to expections outside themselves, preventing them from living a life of their choosing. Our work with the ‘Female Stigmata’ is about supporting and encouraging women and girls to break free from the expectations of others and create a successful life of their own design.
Forthcoming Books
THE FEMALE STIGMATA Thirty Years to Choosing a Body I Love
November 2023
I AM DIVINE: A Colouring Book for Girls and Women
February 2024
SACRED BODIES: An Inclusive Collection of Women's Stories
November 2025
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