Known Worth
In a world that has for centuries valued the intellect of men and the bodies of women, harassment and abuse of the feminine form have run rampant. The unwarranted sense of entitlement that men tend to feel over a woman’s body reveals itself in a plethora of varieties: one, being unsolicited comments on her appearance and what they would like to do with her body, were they given the chance. This form of sexual harassment is no stranger to the modern woman; but, neither is a renewed sense of empowerment for her right to speak out against such behavior. In my piece, Known Worth, I up-cycled an old black blazer to be one that shows style and personality, while also reminiscent of childhood and girlish tendencies. While on the outside the jacket appears to be simply an imaginative and fun article of clothing, the interior lining presents a different story. Words and phrases that men regularly call out to women without any provocation are hand-written in script, providing a clear contrast between what the outside world sees versus what is actually being experienced. Women are told these demeaning things for no reason other than their existence in front of a man and are forced to internalize and attempt to forget, for such things have become normalized in a society that accepts sexual harassment as part of the human experience. We, as women, must Know our worth.