What is the Clothesline Project? 

The Clothesline Project is a visual display that bears witness to violence against women. During the public display, a clothesline is hung with shirts. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular woman's experience, by the survivor herself or someone who cares about her.

It started with thirty-one shirts displayed on the village green in Hyannis, Massachusetts in the fall of 1990, as part of an annual Take Back the Night March and Rally. Since that time, projects have begun in communities all across the country and abroad.

"Doing the laundry has always been considered women's work, and in the days of close-knit neighborhoods, women often exchanged information over backyard fences while hanging their clothes out to dry," says Carol A. Chichetto of East Dennis, Massachusetts. Carol is chair of the project's steering committee and was one of a group of women, inspired by the AIDS quilt, to use shirts hanging on a clothesline to bring an important message to the community. "The concept was simple - let each woman tell her own story, in her own unique way, and hang it out for all to see. It was and is a way of airing society's dirty laundry."

The purpose of the project is four-fold:

1. To bear witness to the survivors as well as the victims of violence against women.

2. To help with the healing process for people who have lost a loved one or are survivors of this violence.

3. To educate, document, and raise society's awareness to the extent of the problem of violence against women.

4. To provide a nationwide network of support, encouragement and information for other communities starting their own Clothesline Projects.

Creating A Shirt
Women need not be artists to create a moving and personal tribute. The following colors have been designated to reflect specific abuses but are not mandatory. Any color or pattern can be used.

Shirts should reflect the woman's or child's personal experience. She may include a name, date, and memorabilia such as tools of a trade or symbols of interest.

Some suggestions for enduring durability:

use a natural fabric
sew rather than using glue
photocopy photographs onto iron-ons
use acrylic or textile paint, color-fast dye or indelible ink

At each display, shirts and materials should be available for people who wish to design a shirt at that time.

For Women and Children Killed
The shirt should display the woman or child's name, date of birth and death and hometown. The creator may wish to write a description of the person they have memorialized.

For Survivors
Because making a shirt is part of the healing process for survivors of violence, shirts should be submitted by the survivor. If not possible, a shirt for a survivor should be submitted with their written permission. Last names and hometowns are not required.

Names
Naming the perpetrator is an important part of the healing process. But, for legal reasons, full names of the perpetrators should not be part of the display. Shirt makers may use first names or initials if they wish to name their violator.  

Your agency can easily start a clothesline in your community by following the guidelines above. To find out more information, contact the Project's national office at Box 727, East Dennis, MA 02641, (508) 240-2018, or visit their website at www.clotheslineproject.org.