Unwomen
Women stripped of status and exiled to die in the wastelands.
In the dystopian society of Gilead, Unwomen are female citizens deemed unfit for any approved role within the regime's rigid hierarchy. Stripped of their legal personhood and social status, these women are labeled as spiritually dead or dangerous to the state order. They represent the ultimate punishment for disobedience, infertility, or resistance against the theocratic government. Their designation marks them for immediate deportation from the city proper to the hazardous wastelands known as the Colonies. Unlike Handmaids who serve a reproductive function or Marthas who perform domestic labor, Unwomen are cast out to clean up toxic waste in a sentence that is effectively a death warrant disguised as exile.
- Classification
- Exiled Citizen
- Destination
- The Colonies
- Primary Cause
- Resistance or Infertility
- Fate
- High Mortality Rate
- Attire
- Protective Hazmat Gear
Lore & Background
The concept of Unwomen is central to Gilead’s method of population control and social enforcement. When a woman fails to conform—whether she refuses to become a Handmaid, speaks out against Commanders, or cannot bear children—she is processed through the Eyes and sent away. The term itself dehumanizes them, suggesting they are no longer women in the eyes of God or the law. Life as an Unwoman involves laboring in areas contaminated by nuclear and chemical waste from before the Republic’s founding. While some men who oppose the regime are also exiled to these zones, the specific label applies almost exclusively to women who have failed their gendered duties. The Colonies serve a dual purpose: disposing of hazardous material and eliminating those who threaten the social order without requiring public executions. Despite the grim reality, the threat of becoming an Unwoman keeps many Handmaids in line during their walks to market or prayer services. It is whispered among the sisters as a warning against even small acts of defiance. The few who survive the initial exposure are often broken by radiation sickness and despair, serving as living examples of what happens when one steps out of place.
In Their Own Story
The bus doors hissed shut, sealing off the city’s gray sky from the dust outside. Inside, they sat in rows, silent, wearing the yellow protective suits that smelled of rubber and fear. No names were spoken now; only numbers scratched onto metal tags pinned to their chests. As the vehicle lurched forward toward the wastelands, one woman pressed her gloved hand against the window, watching the white picket fences fade into distance. She knew she would never see a garden again, only the cracked earth where nothing grew and everything burned.
Reader's Guide
The designation Unwomen stems from Gilead’s rigid caste system, rooted in a fundamentalist reinterpretation of scripture that values women solely for their utility to the state. Those deemed disobedient, infertile, or ideologically suspect are stripped of their legal personhood and assigned this label before deportation. In practice, becoming an Unwoman means exile to the Colonies, hazardous zones contaminated by toxic waste from the pre-Gilead era. While officially framed as re-education labor camps, the exposure ensures a slow death for most inmates. It serves as the ultimate deterrent against rebellion among Handmaids and Marthas alike. Symbolically, these women represent the regime’s view of humanity as disposable resources. Just as nuclear waste is buried in the wastelands, so too are those who no longer fit Gilead’s design. Their erasure reinforces the terrifying reality that citizenship in this republic is conditional upon absolute submission to patriarchal authority.
Did You Know?
- Moira was sent to the Colonies but managed to escape and return to the city.
- The term specifically targets women stripped of their assigned roles within Gilead's hierarchy.
- Men who oppose the regime face similar exile, though they are not typically called Unwomen.
- In the visual depiction of the series, Unwomen wear distinct yellow hazmat suits.