97%
In March 2021 a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, published the results of a survey on the prevalence of the sexual harassment of women in public spaces. Completed as part of the UN’s Safe Spaces Now campaign, the survey found that only 3% of 18-24 year-olds reported not having experienced any of the types of harassment listed.
This portraiture work, featuring 97 portraits of different women, is a response to this sobering statistic. Each of the women pictured represents the millions of young women for whom harassment on the street is part of their lived experience. There is no one type of women who is targeted and the collected images represent the diversity of women who have experienced some kind of harassment; from being cat called and wolf whistled to being photographed without consent. On an individual portrait level each woman’s direct gaze, devoid of apology, subservience or invitation, challenges the viewer to respect and see them for who they are.
