06:00, 07 October 2024
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
If you haven’t heard Farideh’s ‘The Female Body’, then where have you been?
A genre-defying, boundary pushing song about the way women are treated in the medical field, ‘The Female Body’ has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams, and has been used as a trending sound all over the world.
The song speaks about how women’s health symptoms are routinely dismissed and ignored, meaning they can go years, sometimes even decades, without treatment or diagnosis. Based on her own experience, and the experiences of her loved ones, all of Farideh’s frustrations culminated in ‘The Female Body’.
“I personally have PCOS. I had my own journey of waiting 10 years - and not even a doctor diagnosed me,” explains Farideh, in an interview with Smiley News. “I was like, ‘oh, this is what I have’ eventually. I know people [say] you can't diagnose yourself [but] sometimes you're the only person you've got.”
For conditions that primarily affect cisgender women, like PCOS and endometriosis, there are a large number of barriers to diagnosis. A study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) found that only around one-third (33.6%) of women with PCOS were diagnosed in under two years, and had to see three or less healthcare professionals to do so. That’s 66.4% of women with PCOS that had to wait more than two years for diagnosis.
Farideh adds: “When I first started suffering from [PCOS], plenty of people just thought I was making it up, or, the changes I[in] body was something I was imagining.”
The Female Body is a song for people all over the world who have had to suffer through a medical sitution where they have been questioned, dismissed, and sent away - but particularly for those who were assigned female at birth.
A huge amount of the comments on Farideh’s videos of ‘The Female Body’ are from women with whom the experience resonates. People continue to share their own stories, the stories of their loved ones, and comiserate with each other, all brought together by something as simple as a song.
“What brings me joy as a musician is when I can articulate a feeling people have but they haven't actually been able to put it into words,” says Farideh. “Comedy and music are all about speaking truth, they just do it in slightly in different ways.”
Farideh has posted numerous videos featuring ‘The Female Body’ alongside statistics around female health. One in particular stood out to her - that crash test dummies do not test for the cisgender female shape.
This means that women are 47% more likely than men to be seriously injured in a car crash, and 71% more likely to be moderately injured.
While amazing strides have been taken in recent years - for example, these Swedish researchers who have been working on a female crash test dummy - there is still more to be done to even the gender-based playing field. But how can we take action when we don’t know what the problems are?
“Lots of artists write about what's inspiring them [but] in any entertainment world, there are still way more male voices,” says Farideh. “So of course, the the issues that affect women aren't being told because they can't be told, just as I can't speak on the black experience or the trans experience.”
“That's why we need black artists and trans artists to speak on those things, so we can laugh and we can cry alongside them, and we can learn.”
Since the Neanderthal first picked up the flute, music has been not only a form of self expression, but a way to connect with others. There is power in telling our stories - it enables important conversations, and it is only through these conversations that we can make change.
“Telling the stories of women, especially of mothers, is where I started,” Farideh tells Smiley News. “It’s a very lonely world; mothers aren't really represented in television shows or in movies. The boredom, the relentless psychological pressure of raising little spawns, is challenging.”
Previous songs by Farideh like ‘You Are Such A Good Dad’ and ‘Make A List’ have gone viral for how relatable they are, giving women a voice, and a way to articulate experiences that can be so isolating.
“My two favourite responses are things like, ‘I feel seen’ - when get the chance to write a song where people see [their] life reflected back is very affirming,” says Farideh. “Then the other thing I love is when therapists will message me and tell me that my songs are in their sessions - usually couples counseling!”
Seeing musicians like Farideh use their voice and platform as a way to trigger these conversations is amazing. By bringing these statistics and experiences into the public eye, making them relevant and interactive, we are able to make real, important, positive change - and isn’t that what it’s all about?
You can listen to ‘The Female Body’ here on Spotify.
Listen to Farideh’s latest song ‘Check Those Titties’ for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Fawcett Society. This is the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights. Support them here.
Gendered Intelligence. This charity works to increase understanding of gender diversity and improve the lives of trans people. Learn more here.
Beyond Equality. This charity is disrupting harmful norms and creating possibilities for positive change, working with men and boys towards gender equality. Find out more here.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs Gender Equality and Partnerships for the Goals.
