The Clothesline Project

Earlier this year, I visited The Clothesline Project. It was one of those events which leaves you thinking about your experience for days afterward. I learned some unbelievable statistics and read some very disturbing stories. I would like to share with you more about what the project is and also the statistics. If you do not want to read the rest of the article, please stop now.

To describe the scene I saw: It was at a local college and it took place at the ballroom. As you looked from the outside in, you would see rows of clotheslines.
There were maybe 15-20 clotheslines. Most of the lines are filled up with different colors of shirts. The last couple rows were mostly empty. The two rows were used for new shirts for those who want to share their horrific experiences.

The colors of the shirts show a different form of abuse and if the victim had survived from what they experienced. The meanings of the colors were written on a pamphlet I received:

White represents women who died because of violence
Yellow or beige represents battered or assaulted women
Red, pink, and orange are for survivors of rape and sexual assault
Blue and green t-shirts represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse
Purple or lavender represents women attacked because their
sexual orientation
Gray for survivors of verbal and/or emotional abuse
Brown for survivors of spiritual abuse
Black is for women attacked for political reasons

Each shirt also has a story to it. The story is either provided by those who were abused, a friend, or a family member of those who had not survived. The shirts are confidential. Unless a name is listed you do not know who these women are; you only know the tragic event which took place.

As I walked through the display, I became sick to my stomach and even wanted to walk away. I did not. In respect to the women, and even children, I continued on.
It was quiet, and it was if the ballroom had transformed to hollow ground. Everyone around was whispering, or just reading. Occasionally you could hear different sounds in the background. They were not loud enough to disturb the mood, but loud enough you could hear them.

The pamphlet I held spoke of the different sounds I was hearing.
“The gong is struck to indicate someone is being battered. Women are battered every 10 to 12 seconds in the United States. The whistle is being blown to indicate a reported rape. Keep in mind that most rapes are not reported. Every minute of every day more than one woman reports being raped in this country. The bell is rung to indicate that a woman has been killed in a violent attack. In the United States 3 to 4 women are killed by their lovers or husbands each day.”
[November 1993 National Victim Center Statistics]

I can not explain how I felt. I can not explain to you how much anger I had in me for those who take advantage of others in such selfish ways. The stories I read, I will never forget. I wish I could do more. There are not words I can use right now. I wish I could take the project into your home.

I would recommend checking your local area for the project. It is a great way to support and to fight this battle. I will end with a little about the history of the project. The next part is directly from the pamphlet I have been referring to. The project started in 1990, “when the Cape Cod Women’s Defense Agenda learned that 58,000 soldiers were killed during the Vietnam War, and during that same time 51,000 women in the United States were killed by men claiming to love them.”

(If you want to find out more about the history of the project or about the project please go to their website http://www.clotheslineproject.org/ )