Thursday, January 26, 2012

SCWK 432 - The Clothesline Project




 I am honored to have researched and to be able to inform you about the Clothesline Project.

 It was first introduced in the 1990's by visual artist, Rachel Carey-Harper. The Clothesline Project honors women survivors as well as victims of intimate violence. The concept was simple - let each woman tell her story in her own unique way, using words and/or artwork to decorate her shirt. Once finished, she would then hang her shirt on the clothesline. (http://www.clotheslineproject.org/index.htm

The original project started with 31 shirts on a village in Hyannis, MA as part of an
event, called "Take back the night",  as the day went by more women kept creating more
shirts, and the line kept growing. Participating in this project gives every women who has
survived domestic violence, a new voice and it gives them the opportunity to take all that
frustration and sadness out of their minds.

I am happy that after all of those deaths during the Vietnam war, a brave woman
made her voice be heard and now we have this powerful project that helps other women
who suffer because of domestic violence.

There are many reasons and causes that many people think are a motive for a men
to hit a woman, but personally I think a men should never put his hands on a woman.
Culture is definitely a root cause. Many men in other countries are allowed to hit their wives
if they do not follow their commands, such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry,
cooking, or simply anything that the man desires at that moment. Economic factors also
influence men to become violent. Not having enough money at home to cover the bills or to
buy food could be a cause for an argument and therefore violence.


                                                                             



 Some examples of other successful programs include,  , at the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  "Voices Against Violence regards participants as
empowered bystanders who can confront abusive or violent peers. A major focus of the
program is on men, because while most men do not commit violence, most violence is
committed by men. Voices Against Violence challenges all forms of violence, particularly
men's violence against women." (http://www.umass.edu/uhs/health/getinvolved/voices/)

 The Brown and Homan chapters have a very important connection to this project
and many other community interventions. Mark S. Homan mentions that social workers are
change agents. It's important to"assist people in their efforts to lead full and satisfying
lives." (Homan, p.74) Homan also mentions an example of Lorena, an immigrant who lives
with a violent man who beats her up. She is afraid as many other women are to report it
because she thinks that she will be deported. When we hear cases like Lorena's we should act
as change agents and provide them with counseling and suggest to report the abuse, this
way her life will change from a negative view to a positive one. On the other hand, Brown
mentions the concept of building powerful community organization that are a two-way
street, meaning that the "organization helps you.", and "you help the organization." 
(Brown, p. 336)
         
 In the case of the Clothesline Project, desinging shirts helps women take out that
frustration inside of them, they are helping the organization because the more shirts that
are created proves that more women are being abused and that a change is needed. Also, the
project provides them with the necessary equiptment to decorate the shirts, so there is
mutual help.


                       Please watch the following video, it is very interesting!







 

              













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