What is The Clothesline Project?
The Women's Coalition has participated in
The Clothesline Project since 1994. The Clothesline Project is a visual display that
bears witness to violence against someone. During the display, a clothesline is hung
with shirts. Each shirt is decorated to represent at particular women's experience, by the
survivor herself or by someone who cares about her. Our clothesline is
displayed publicly at The Women Race, Take Back the Night March, WCSC Annual Meeting and
at Advocate Training.
In addition to our public displays, the Women's Coalition of St. Croix plans an evening
each year to display The Clothesline and for active participation. At each display, shirts
and materials will be available for people who wish to design a shirt at the time.
The Clothesline Project provides an opportunity for women to break the silence and bear
witness to their personal experience of violence, and celebrate their transformation from
victim to survivor in a powerful statement of solidarity.
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What goes on the Clothesline?
Each t-shirt or garment on The Clothesline
is decorated by a woman survivor of violence to represent her experiences and express her
feelings. Shirts can also be made to remember a woman who has been murdered. Each shirt
tells an individual woman's story. When displayed together, they are a powerful testimony
about the war being waged against women.
The Clothesline Project is about direct, personal violence against women and shirts are
color-coded for different types of violence. We ask women to send in shirts, blouses or
tee shirts of durable material preferably with the following color code:
- White - for women who have died of violence;
- Yellow or beige - for women who have been
battered or assaulted
- Red, pink, or orange - for women who have
been raped or sexually assaulted
- Blue or green - for women who are survivors
of incest or child sexual abuse
- Purple or lavender - for women attacked
because of their sexual orientation.
You need not be an artist to create a moving, personal tribute. Whether you choose to
simply paint or sew elaborate embroidery is up to you--any remembrance is appropriate.
These colors are not mandatory if a different color has special significance.
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One of the beauties of this project is its
simplicity. Survivors need not be artists to create a moving personal tribute. Whether
they choose to use paint, magic markers or elaborate embroidery to create their shirt is
up to them. The power is in the personal. We would like each shirt to reflect the woman's
personal experience. You may include a name, date and memorabilia such as tools of a trade
or symbols of interest. Some suggestions for enduring durability:
- use a natural fabric
- sew rather than using glue
- photocopy photographs onto iron-ons.
- use acrylic or textile pain, color-fast dye
or indelible ink
For women killed
You may want to submit a shirt that
belonged to her. Please show on the shirt the woman's name, date of birth and death and
hometown. When the shirt is complete you may wish to take the time to write a description
of the person you have memorialized.
Please include information you wish to share about her death. Tell us what this person
meant to you and how you think she should be remembered. Enclose a photograph of the
person if you have one you are willing to part with. We cannot be responsible for
returning photographs or momentos.
For survivors
Because making a shirt is part of a healing
process of violence, shirts should be submitted by the survivor. If not possible, a shirt
for a survivor should be submitted with her written permission. We ask that you respect
their anonymity by not using their name. Last name or hometown are not required. We would
appreciate whatever information you or she would like to share. We will respect all
requests for confidentiality.
Names of perpetrator
Naming the perpetrator is an important part
of the healing process. But, for legal reasons, we cannot display shirts with full names
of the perpetrators. We ask that shirt makers use first names or initials if they wish to
name their violator.
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How it started
The Clothesline Project began in 1990 when
members of the Cape Cod Women's Agenda hung a clothesline across the village green in
Hyannis, Massachusetts with 31 shirts designed by survivors of assault, rape and incest.
Women viewing the clothesline came forward to create shirts of their own and the line just
kept growing.
Since that first display The Clothesline Project has grown to 300+ local Clothesline
Projects nationally and internationally, with an estimated 35,000 shirts. The Clothesline
Project has become a distinctive resource for healing from violence and creating social
change. Clotheslines have been displayed at schools, universities, State Houses, shopping
malls, churches, and women's events. The first National Display took place April 8-9, 1995
in Washington D.C. in conjunction with NOW's Rally For Women's Lives.
Similar to the AIDS quilt, The Clothesline Project puts a human face on the statistics of
violence against women. The Clothesline Project increases awareness of the impact of
violence against women, celebrates a woman's strength to survive, and provides an avenue
for her to courageously break the silence. Families and friends of women who have died as
a result of violence can make a shirt to express their deep loss.
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Women's
Coalition of St. Croix: (340) 773-9272
National Network Office of The Clothesline Project: (508) 896-1875
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