It has been a decades long debate of the fight for feminists to have their voices truly heard. One part of this is by taking autonomy over the very word that describes them as an independent and self-directed group within society.
The spelling of the word ‘women’ as ‘womxn’ has surfaced over the last few years. The spelling comes from the fact that individuals and groups are choosing to spell the word this way because they feel the need to not be an extension to the word man. It is a form of self-reinvention.
The idea behind the spelling of the word in this way is womxn being their own separate entity from that of a man. In its spelling, it indicates that the womxn is fully capable of operating as a single entity without the relief of a man.
PHOTO: Caira Blignaut
The word is also intersectional, “as it is meant to include transgender womxn, womxn of color, womxn from third world countries, and every other self-identifying womxn out there,” says Natalia Emmanual, from Washington University, who has also chosen to identify as a womxn.
It can and most probably will be said that this minor change in the spelling of the word is unnecessary. That it holds no distinguished sanctions in the way society is set up in its patriarchal roots of misogyny and misrepresentation but I do feel like this micro- change is essential.
It is vital in the depiction of the notoriously known ‘weaker sex’ in terms of representation and voice. This new spelling can lead to endless conversations and discourse that can be created not only for awareness but inclusion as well.
Social media has slowly started adopting the spelling of the word in its new form. By doing this fellow womxn are perpetuating a space for education against dominant narratives to take place. By making others more aware of the spelling, it creates a space for another to be better informed on why some choose to spell womxn with an x.
PHOTO: Caira Blignaut
Authors note: By spelling the word woman as womxn, my intentions are not to take away from greater issues surrounding what womxn face today. Nor from broader movements such as LGBTQI rights, #FeesMustFall etc. My intentions for this article is to simply shed light on why, as an individual, I choose to spell the word this way, as well as believing that every little step taken towards promoting the word to be spelt in this way can make it popular in mainstream forms of media.