“No one should be assaulted based on their choice of clothing. “They were worn by women and girls just going about their daily lives – until they were attacked,” said the deputy UN chief. Representing each of the five UN Regional Groups, mannequins were clothed in the outfits worn by women as they were being sexually assaulted – 103 in all, symbolizing the 1.3 billion survivors of sexual violence across the globe. “This exhibition should be a catalyst to spur important conversations about our collective responsibility to eliminate violence against women and girls”. General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said the exhibit “underscored the reality that the threat of rape looms over the lives of all women, regardless of their station in life…their occupation, their clothing choices”. “They mirror the diversity of people who experience violence from every region of the world, including a two-year-old child… demonstrate more clearly than any legal argument could, that women and girls are attacked regardless of what they are wearing,” she said. Mohammed observed that “by asking the question What Were You Wearing?, this exhibition flips the narrative on victim-shaming and blaming”. But for survivors of sexual violence, it becomes a ritualistic blame tactic.ĭuring the launch, Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. In the fashion world, the question “what were you wearing?” can empower, celebrate creativity and mark influence. And she continues to seek legal reform, on behalf of all survivors. Since 2018, through her tireless advocacy work Samantha has been successful in advocating for new legislation on the issue, in Indiana and Texas. She stressed that her geographical location should not determine “whether I received proper care”, reminding that consent cannot be given, if a person is “not responsive”. “What I was wearing should not matter,” said survivor Samantha McCoy, an attorney and activist from Texas. Rape is an epidemic.Ĭlothing is irrelevant, it is never an invitation for violence, and does not cause attacks. This is equivalent to the combined populations of North America and Europe. Sexual violence is a universal issue that demands greater international recognition.Īccording to the World Health Organization ( WHO), 35 per cent of women globally, or more than one-third of the world’s population, have survived sexual violence. To highlight the victim-blaming that underpins these kind of questions, US civil rights organization Rise partnered with the UN Spotlight Initiative to stage an exhibition at UN Headquarters in New York, " What Were You Wearing?", that confirms the pervasiveness of sexual violence across all cultures and underscores that what a victim is wearing, should have no bearing in the investigation of a heinous crime.
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