We Asked Women What Would Do They Do If They Were Invisible

Have you read The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells? Did you know that the main character was not actually invisible? He was not seen or acknowledged by others because he was different. The term invisibility itself has many connotations. Is it a subjective invisibility, invisibility due to different identities or invisibility by magic? In the case of women, all the invisibilities are true. Women are invisible in the patriarchal world, women are ostracised for being witches and women do want to be invisible to live peacefully. So SheThePeople interacted with a few women about what they would do if they were invisible. 

When I spoke to women, I felt as if every woman wishes to not be visible to society. Even though we are already rendered to the margins and not provided with equal opportunities, women want to be invisible. Do you know why? We will explore this question at the end. 

What would women do if they were invisible?

Shagun, an MBBS student, said that she would roam freely at night if she was invisible. And so would her sister, Mridula, who is a pilot.  Shagun said, "I would take a chance and roam around at night you know like sit at some beautiful isolated spot and watch the stars. I love wandering at night but obviously, due to safety issues, I can’t. But if I would turn invisible and go unnoticed I would just wander around late at night." 

Speaking on the same line, 36-year-old Shruti Nair, a freelance writer, said, "I would roam around at night without any fear. Will travel to places forbidden for women and ⁠eat what I want without worrying about how I will look."

Aparajita, a 25-year-old Care Coach at a mental health organisation said that if she was invisible, she would escape the judgements people make about women. She said, "The way people look at you. Most of the time men are staring at me, and sometimes someone judges my shoes, like if it's cheap or branded! You can see the look on their face. Aunties judging me for my hair colour! It's too much attention and I feel like it's my fault because I have red colour hair."

While most of the women I interacted with want to be invisible so that they can do things which they can't while being visible. Invisibility is not a power for women but a way to seek basic rights. It is a way to escape the taxing oppression of patriarchy and live on their own terms. 

Some women don't want to be invisible. Why?

But invisibility is not possible until and unless you are living in a fantasy novel. It is a real world where everyone has to face injustice and yet keep living. So does that mean women can never live peacefully? 

Aparajita also added that she doesn't really want to be invisible. She said, "I feel good when people acknowledge my existence like my partner or my clients! It does feel good to be seen. I don't really want to be invisible."

Joen Melody, a 26-year-old Assistant Professor too was not very comfortable with the idea of being invisible. She said, "I would like to meet other invisible people and find out how much they hate their invisibility as much as I've come to hate my visible life."

What would I do?

So clearly, all women seek is acknowledgement. They want to love their visible life decorated with respect, equality and safety. Actually, not decorated but complete because the right to be human is not a decoration but a basic need. Because that is not provided to women, they resort to an imagined invisible life where they are not only safe but happy. This is why women want to be invisible. Even if they don't, they want their visible life to be worth living. 

If I had the opportunity to be invisible, I would write subversive content like this or even more intensified without fearing the trolls and yet creating a change. Because it is only an invisible thing that can gain society's trust right? 

Views expressed are the author's own.