From the Archives | Street Abuse Poster

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In the summer of 2008, I came across UNESCO’s Human Rights Poster Project.

So, I thought about what human right that no one had yet to depict. The right to walk down the street free of verbal abuse should be a right granted to all humans. Yet if that human is a woman — in any part of the world — that right is not often assumed.

At the time (and still to this day) street harassment is considered a victimless crime. So I wanted to create a poster that primarily informed people that street harassment is a crime, as it is a form of abuse.

I did some online research, and read forum after forum of women telling their stories of being harassed, followed, grabbed, or even having bottles thrown at them. I combined those experiences with my own personal experiences and created an image showing what a woman goes through as she is going about her day. Whether she is walking to work, getting groceries, a cup of coffee, or meeting with friends or loved ones, these are typical experiences she goes through.

I used a time-based narrative, similar to how police officers document the sequence of when a crime took place. I added an additional layer of crime scene imagery by using vibrant reds, and a long shadow to look like a taped outline. I was also mindful of any attire that might restrict the nationality, religion, and culture of the woman in this image. She could be any woman, anywhere.

I never had the nerve to submit it. But a few years later, I met Nuala Cabral online, a political activist and filmmaker. She saw my poster and wanted to disseminate it. Not sure how far it got, or what kind of impact it had. But I know now that it was part of a growing conversation about street harassment, and how more women tell their stories.