Unwomen are the lowest social class of women in Gilead. It typically includes many if not all women who are incapable of social integration within the regime's gender divisions. Among them are unmarried or divorced women, human rights activists, adulteresses, feminists, lesbians, female "gender traitors", nuns, failed handmaids such as those unable to bear children after three two-year postings[citation needed], female demonstrators/protesters, journalists, and other female dissidents.
Legal State[]
Unwomen are stripped of any human rights[1], which means they can be detained arbitrarily to be executed or obliged to forced labor without trial[2][3]. This includes exiling to noxious work in the "Colonies".
Initial Classification after the Takeover[]
Flashbacks from "The Testaments" novel suggest that following the takeover, most single women were initially classed as "Unwomen", where graduated females were targeted in particular.[1][4]
Reclassifications of Unwomen[]
The Gileadean regime uses the imminent treatment as Unwoman as a lever to enforce consent to other social roles: To be married off to a stranger as his "Econowife", or to "redeem" herself as a Martha[5], Handmaid[6], or Jezebel[7].
At some occasions, an Unwoman can be even reclassed as an Aunt, as it happened to Aunt Lydia in the novels[8].
Male Unpeople[]
A conversation of Moira and Offred (in "Jezebels"/Novel) reveals that a quarter of inmates in penal colonies are male. They wear the same long dresses as women do, which Moira suspects is "to demoralize the men".
Unwomen in the 1990 film[]
In the 1990 film, women wearing surgical masks and gray dresses are seen working the mess hall of the Red Center.
Known Unwomen[]
See also: Unwomen (Category) for a full list of Unwomen characters.
- Holly Maddox (novel and TV show, fate unknown)
- Emily (TV show, briefly)
- Janine (TV show, briefly)
- Mrs. O'Conner (TV show, murdered)
- Fiona (TV show)
- Kit (TV show, deceased)
- Sally (TV show)
- Odette (TV show, executed)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Testaments, V Van
- ↑ Episode 3.3, Useful
- ↑ VII Stadium
- ↑ The Testaments, VII Stadium
- ↑ e.g. Maureen in Useful/Liars
- ↑ e.g. Heather in Other Women; as well as most of the protagonists
- ↑ e.g. Moira in Jezebels/XII_Jezebels
- ↑ XI Sackcloth