Clothesline Project to raise awareness of violence against women

BLACKSBURG, Va., March 13, 2007 – The Women’s Center at Virginia Tech will sponsor the Clothesline Project the week of March 26, a national effort to raise awareness of violence against women by providing a visual testimony to the shattering effect of violence against women and the impact it has on society.

The Clothesline Project educates the public about the scope of violence against women and the impact it has on individuals, their families and friends, and the community. It encourages survivors to come forward to break their silence by creating shirts with messages and illustrations to share their stories. The shirts demonstrate the pain and suffering of the survivors, aid in their healing process, and celebrate their strength and courage to overcome the past.

Area residents and the university community may to create their own shirt in a quiet, confidential environment. Those interested may visit the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech (206 Washington Street, Blacksburg) from Monday, March 26 to Friday, March 30 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All materials are supplied free of charge.

Completed shirts are hung side by side on a clothesline, as though the survivors were standing there themselves, shoulder to shoulder, bearing witness to the violence committed against women on a daily basis. The shirts are color coded: white for women who have died from violence; yellow or beige for women who have been battered or assaulted; red, pink, or orange for those raped or sexually assaulted; blue or green for survivors of incest or child sexual abuse; purple or lavender for women attacked because of their sexual orientation; and black for women handicapped by violence.

The community is invited to view the clothesline display on the Drillfield at Virginia Tech from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, Wednesday, March 28, or Thursday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The rain location for March 28 (only) is Torgersen Museum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This local Clothesline Project was initiated in 1994 by the Montgomery County chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Local sponsors include Montgomery County NOW, Womanspace, the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech, and the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley.

For information, contact Susan Anderson at 540-231-8041 (work) or 540-951-2013 (home).