CLOTHESLINE PROJECT

The Clothesline Project is a visual display bearing witness to violence against women, men and children. It is hosted throughout the country at various times each year and select days during April in Iowa City.

The display features shirts designed by victims/survivors of sexual abuse. Shirts are also created by friends and family to honor individuals who have died at the hands of abusers.

Sights and Sounds

Many participants in the Clothesline Project adhere to the following color code when designing a t-shirt:

White: Persons who have died because of violence
Yellow and beige: Battered or assaulted victims/survivors
Red, orange and pink: Rape or sexual abuse victims/survivors
Green and blue: Incest or child sexual abuse victims/survivors
Purple and lavender: Individuals attacked because of their sexual orientation

Sounds accompany the clothesline display to symbolize the rate at which sexual crimes are committed:

Gong: A gong is struck to indicate a woman being battered. Women are battered every 9 seconds in the U.S.
Whistle: A whistle is blown to indicate an individual being raped. Someone is raped every 2 minutes in the U.S.
Bell: A bell is rung to indicate that a woman has died as a result of gender violence. Every day in America 3 to 4 women are killed by a batterer.

Background

The Clothesline Project display takes place in five foreign countries and more than 500 American communities each year. Since its inception in 1990, it has increased awareness of violence against women, celebrated victims’/survivors’ strength, and provided an avenue for those affected by violence to break the silence surrounding their experience.

The Iowa City Clothesline Project began in 1995 through the efforts of RVAP, the Women’s Resource and Action Center (WRAC) and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program. It is displayed every April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

For more information and a complete history of the Project, visit www.clotheslineproject.org.

Participate

Create a shirt for the Clothesline Project. Color, paint, embroider, sew or dye your own design. Drop it off at your local clothesline display or RVAP.

For Iowa City Clothesline Project dates and locations, check out the latest SAAM calendar or contact RVAP at (319) 335-6001.

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