Paper short abstract:

In years 2016, 2018 and 2020 thousands of Polish women went on nationwide strikes to protest against the planned total ban on abortion. I will consider these protests - fight for reproductive rights, gender equality and resistance to patriarchy from the perspective of an anthropology of sound.

Paper long abstract:

I will set my ethnographic narration in the context of nationwide women's strike organized September and October 2016, March 2018 and since October 2020 by women fighting against tightening of abortion law in Poland.

I would like to focus on the performative and sound aspects of these protests. One of the biggest cities where black protests take place is Poznan. In this city, on May 2016 the Witches’ Choir came into existence. It is a collective of 20 women of various professions, ages, experience, status and worldviews. The group’s formation was inspired by the story of the first woman accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in Poland. The Witches sing loudly and wrathfully and one of their first songs entitled “Your Power” became the anthem of the black protest that took place on October 2016 and next in 2020.

In my paper, I will take into consideration a few issues. First of all, I will try to answer the questions why the above-mentioned song of the Witches’ Choir has become a symbol of resistance to patriarchal power. Secondly, I will consider whether nationwide women's strike can generally be seen as performatively and sonically different from other manifestations and protests. If there is a difference, what roles sound and voice play in the context of publicly expressed resistance.