Ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD), a group of women gathered in London for a bold act of feminist rebellion. Before sunrise, they came together for a guerrilla-style photoshoot on Millennium Bridge. They made a symbolic stand against states the world over increasingly stripping women and non-binary people of their bodily rights: by stripping bare in the name of body autonomy.
My body, my choice: a photoshoot protest on Millennium Bridge
Photographer Luana Martignon led the photoshoot with the fundamental message: “My body, my choice.”
In the cold hours at the end of February, a group of women and non-binary volunteers gathered before dawn:
When the daylight conditions were right, the group stripped down together to get ready for the shoot:
With their backs to the camera, they lined up together nude across the bridge:
The group’s efforts resulted in Martignon’s final, stirring image:
Women and non-binary people ‘deserve to exist fully and freely’
In essence, the photoshoot was to make a powerful statement against the increasing restrictions on bodily rights, including access to safe abortion, knowledgeable healthcare, and protection from gender-based violence.
As Martignon described on the project’s page:
To me, body autonomy means that everyone deserves to exist fully and freely, regardless of their shape, size, colour, gender, age, or ability. Body rights include:
- The right to make decisions about their own body, including access to safe abortion
- The right to give and withdraw consent at any time
- The right to monetise their bodies
- The right to show skin without being assaulted or shamed
- The right to wear what makes them comfortable without fear of judgment, harassment, violence or labels
- The right to be taken seriously when they say, “I know my body,” and to not be gaslighted by doctors
The project is part of a larger movement demanding bodily autonomy, freedom of choice, and an end to the policing of women’s and non-binary people’s bodies.
A ‘symbolic rejection of the systems’ controlling their bodies
Martignon, a female photographer known for her work in empowerment, body acceptance, and activism, has been shortlisted for awards such as Portrait of Britain and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize.
Initially, Martignon and her team of volunteers had tried to secure a safe location for the protest shoot. However, they quickly realised it was unlikely someone would support them carrying it out on their land due to persisting taboo around nudity in the UK.
Of course, it only underscored the importance of the group’s action further. Instead, going guerilla gave them the opportunity to break out of the norms and expectations the state and others impose on their bodies. Despite the risks of public nudity and the challenges in securing support, the group moved forward without permission – a symbolic rejection of the systems that seek to control their bodies.
So, as Martignon put:
Many people, including the President of the United States, do not care about asking for permission before violating and regulating our bodies.
So we will go ahead without asking for permission too.
An act of liberation
Recalling the shoot, Martignon shared:
I asked each participant to consider why they were taking part, what they were standing up for, and why this act of rebellion mattered to them. I wanted them to feel empowered in their choice – whatever their personal reason may be.
For many participants, this was more than just a photoshoot – it was an act of liberation.
One participant said:
I want naked bodies to be less sexualised. I felt proud and free standing naked in central London on a Saturday morning!
Meanwhile, another shared their deeply personal reason for taking part:
I’m a survivor. I’ve seen and experienced so much, and I always felt like I had to be silent. But I don’t want to be silent ever again in my life.
The empowering act of resistance comes ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday 8 March. And Martignon has now resolutely thrown down the gauntlet with her work:
I will watch with interest when all these venues are celebrating International Women’s Day and shouting about women’s rights on all platforms, knowing they wouldn’t support a project that empowers women and non-binary people in a less conforming way.
She signed off the project’s page with four powerful words – and it’s a message that her final photo undoubtedly evokes, and all without uttering a single syllable:
We won’t be silenced.
Feature and in-text image via Luana Martignon, Sophie Giddens, and Stephanie Kalber
