To show how sexual harassment leaves its mark, a women's rights organization in Germany is drawing attention to bronze statues of naked women, with breasts that are visibly lighter after years of touching them. The group has hung large white signs behind three bronze statues of naked women with the slogan 'Sexual harassment leaves a mark'. These images highlight the frequency of sexual harassment that women face on a daily basis. This action is part of a campaign called “Unsilence the violence”, launched by the women's rights organization Terre des Femmes, DW reported.
According to the group, two in three women experience sexual harassment at some point in their lives, and these images highlight that story. The signs were placed behind the statue of Juliet Capulet on Marienplatz in Munich, the statue of “Youth” in the Hoetgerhof in Bremen and in front of the statue of “Frau Rhein” which is part of the Neptune Fountain in central Berlin . Based on the status photos, the breasts of the bronze nude women have become lighter, clearly indicating where they are often touched.
“Sexual harassment is a problem that is far too often downplayed or ignored,” says Sina Tonk of Terre des Femmes in a press release. “We must work together to ensure victims' voices are heard and perpetrators are held accountable,” she added.
According to the group, photos of the installations clearly show that the naked women's breasts have a much brighter glow than the rest of the image, a result of “where they are touched most often.”
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The three images “visibly show the decades of attacks by passers-by,” according to Terre des Femmes. The act leaves its mark – “just as it does for those affected by sexual violence,” the organization added.
According to the press release, passers-by could scan the QR code on the signs at these images to hear short recordings to let the images speak against the attack. However, the group's spokesperson stated that these posters were removed due to licensing issues.
In particular, Terre des Femmes has been campaigning for more than forty years against human rights violations against girls and women, against gender-specific discrimination and for women's rights.