May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month. In Ottawa alone, eight women are sexually assaulted every day and only one will ever report it to the police (Hidden from Sight, OCTEVAW 2009). It is scary that this crime is so prevalent and that, in a majority of cases, it goes unreported. So what can we do? We can talk about sexual assault in public and private forums, we can share resources – such as this article by the Ontario Women’s Directorate (What Every Girl and Woman Should Know About Sexual Assault), and we can participate in creative events – such as the Clothesline Project. Each year, women and male allies in Ottawa participate in the Clothesline Project to raise public awareness about violence and sexual violence perpetrated against girls and women.
The Clothesline Project has been around since 1990 when a coalition of women's groups from Massachusetts decided to paint t-shirts with messages of solidarity for women who have experienced violence and messages of remembrance for women who have died at the hands of their intimate partners to “educate, break the silence and bear witness to […] violence against women” (http://www.clotheslineproject.org/History.html). Since that time, women from around the world have been participating in the Clothesline Project, hanging their t-shirts on a symbolic clothesline to “air society’s dirty laundry,” so to speak:
“The concept was simple - let each woman tell her story in her own unique way, using words and/or artwork to decorate her shirt. Once finished, she would then hang her shirt on the clothesline. This very action serves many purposes. It acts as an educational tool for those who come to view the Clothesline; it becomes a healing tool for anyone who make a shirt - by hanging the shirt on the line, survivors, friends and family can literally turn their back on some of that pain of their experience and walk away; finally it allows those who are still suffering in silence to understand that they are not alone.” (http://www.clotheslineproject.org/History.html)
This year, Ottawa’s Clothesline Project will be taking place on Sunday, May 29th at Minto Park from 11:00 – 4:00 pm. Think about joining in to paint your own shirt! If you’re unavailable on Sunday, May 29th, get your school or community group together to paint t-shirts ahead of time. Make your own clothesline display or choose a rep who can drop off your t-shirts on May 29th at Minto Park.
If you’d like, you can also join the Sexual Assault Network (SAN), the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW), and In Love and In Danger (ILID) members - as well as other participants – at Family Services Ottawa on Thursday, May 26th for an informal gathering to paint t-shirts as a testament to all types of violent experiences against women.
We will be providing up to 20 t-shirts and paint supplies at no cost. If you have a shirt that is on its way out from your closet, please bring it with you and we will recycle it for this important cause.
Details: Family Services à la famille Ottawa
Date: Thursday, May 26th
Time: Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Where: 312 Parkdale Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4X5
Room 6
Check out http://www.clotheslineproject.org/ for information about organizing your own clothesline or fundraiser.
Sexual Assault Prevention Month, Ontario
Send us your pictures of your Clothesline t-shirts and we’ll post them on the blog! What else are you doing to participate in Sexual Assault Prevention Month?
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