Violence against women depicted by 144 dresses
EXHIBITION AIMS TO MAKE US MORE AWARE OF LIVES LOST
A HARD-HITTING exhibition has been unveiled to remember more than 140 women who have died at the hands of men this year.
The display, titled Dresses of Sorrow, highlights domestic abuse and violence against women.
It features 144 dresses on washing lines, with each dress representing a woman who has died this year.
One is a tribute to former Durham University student Sarah Everard, who was abducted by a serving Metropolitan Police officer in March while walking home in Clapham Common, London. The officer, Wayne Couzens, drove the 33-year-old to Kent where he raped and murdered her, burning her body in a piece of land he owned near Ashford.
The killer was sent to prison for the rest of his life over her “devastating, tragic and wholly brutal” death.
The exhibition also includes teddy bears representing children who have lost their mothers in a domestic violence incident or who have been killed themselves.
Coun Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “Two women a week are killed by a former or current partner in England and Wales alone.
“Every week three women take their own lives to escape abuse. These statistics are completely unacceptable.
“The power of domestic abuse lies in its secrecy. Only by talking about it openly can we seek to remove the stigma. This exhibition will help people to start conversations to bring this issue firmly into the open and make sure survivors get the help they need.
“The 144 dresses actually highlight 144 women who have been murdered by a man over the past year and each one highlights an individual.
“These women should not be part of a statistic – these are actually women who have lost their lives.
“We’ve also got a display of teddy bears – 80 of the teddy bears highlight 80 young children who have lost their mums to domestic violence. And the other 11 actually portray 11 children who have lost their lives to domestic abuse.”
She added: “I’m encouraging people to view the display. This is about how we raise the profile of domestic abuse and how we can engage with our communities. This is all about awareness.”
The touring exhibition opened in South Shields Museum. It is based at Hebburn Children’s Centre, Campbell Park Road, until tomorrow, between 11am and 3pm. Its final stop will be at Jarrow Town Hall where people can see it on Friday between 11am and 3pm.