Spanish feminists slam female candidate for her nude poster

A controversial poster appeared on April 13 in a display at the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Ciutadella on the Spanish island of Minorca revealing the breasts and nipples of a woman with her breasts grasped from behind by what seem to be a man’s hands. The message on the provocative poster reads, “Two big arguments. Sole Sánchez.” Passersby could see easily see the poster in a glass display. The Sánchez named is Soledad Sánchez Mohamed: a political candidate for her party on the island of Minorca, which is part of Spain’s Balearic archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona.

The Leftist Party of Minorca (Esquerra Menorca) denounced the poster to a local feminist group, which considers the poster as sexist and a violation of the dignity of women. The Istitut Balear de la Dona is demanding that the Democratic Party remove the poster.

Sánchez, for her part, replied “I do what I want with my breasts and I don’t have to hide them.” Sánchez and her party are considering legal action. She contends that the image of the nude woman is not part of her election campaign but is being used to promote one of its programs. The Democratic Party of Ciutadella claims that the image refers to an initiative to bring improvements to the port area of Ciutadella, which the party wants to convert into a night spot for tourist. “After the photo began to circulate on the Internet, I decided to make it into a enormous poster and place it in the front window of the headquarters so that the whole world can see it,” said Sánchez. “My intention,” said the outraged woman, “is to denounce people’s duplicitous morality. Sánchez said that she is a feminist in the mould of the 1960s, who “defends the equality of the human body.”

The outspoken feminist denounced the “puritanical” reaction of Minorca’s Leftist party. “Let them go to the Taliban and give them burkas,” in reference to the Afghan terrorists who scourge and stone women for failing to wear traditional Muslim garb. “If going about with cleavage showing is an insult, then people will have to put up with it; I don’t have to cover myself. We are not in the days of the Inquisition,” added Sánchez.

Observers noted the Sánchez is not the first local candidate to resort to nudity to advance political goals. In 2006, Albert Rivera - a candidate running for the Citizen’s Party of Ciudatella – appeared nude in his posters. Nonetheless, Sánchez claims that a double-standard is being applied. “When a man strips himself, then people find him innocent, but if a woman does it then this is always seen as evil because it bears the stigma of the Christian Eve: the provocative, undignified woman.” She said that she is pleased that her poster has brought attention to her party’s plans for the portside.

The nude poster was no longer on display at the party headquarters as of April 14, having been replaced with the photo of the townsquare. Sánchez says that the change “has nothing to do” the complaint filed by the local feminists.

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