What Were You Wearing?: St Andrews exhibition tackles victim blaming
The exhibition aims to end victim blaming in cases of sexual assault
Last updated 25th Mar 2022
The University of St Andrews is hosting an exhibition aiming to end victim-blaming and the myth that sexual assault can be attributed to a person’s choice of clothes.
What Were You Wearing? features recreations of outfits worn by survivors when they were sexually assaulted, alongside short testimonies of their experiences. The clothing on display includes pyjamas, jeans, a work uniform and even children’s clothes.
The exhibition originated across the pond at the University of Arkansas in 2013, with the outfits and testimonies in the St Andrews installation matching the original. The display was originally inspired by a poem by Dr Mary Simmerling entitled What I Was Wearing.
The exhibition is being displayed in the university thanks to a collaboration between the student-led Got Consent? Committee, Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (FRASAC) and Fife Council’s Violence Against Women Partnership (FVAWP).
The project has also been supported by Transition University of St Andrews, a partner involved in running StAndReuse, which donated clothing for the exhibits, and students on the University’s Museum and Gallery Studies post-graduate course, who have assisted in curating the exhibition.
A safe space will also be available during the running of the exhibition, which will be led by a member of FRASAC.
Changing the narrative
4th-year student Kara Stewart, the Got Consent? co-ordinator, said: “This partnership between the University and local community groups is vital as we seek to address what is a society-wide problem. By working together in this way, we hope we can encourage everyone – not just students – to see the exhibition and start a conversation in our communities about the realities of sexual assault.
“This is an issue the University takes seriously, but this is not just an exhibition for students, it is for staff and members of the public from across our community. In order to create meaningful change, we all have to be involved.”
She added: "It's really just opening up that conversation to people of any age, any background and getting them to speak about it. And, also getting them to speak to their friends, their family, their children and, kind of, normalise these discussions.
"Not to frighten people but just to make sure that people know that these things do occur and that there's avenues that they can go down to get support."
Co-ordinator of the Fife Violence Against Women Partnership, Sheila Noble, said: “This is a hugely important exhibition. I am really pleased that St Andrews University is hosting it and opening it out to the wider community in Fife.
“This powerful exhibition challenges myths surrounding rape. It challenges misogynistic attitudes and victim blaming. I hope as many people as possible go to see it. We need to tell it as it is – victims of rape are not to blame.”
What Were You Wearing? began on Thursday 24th March and ends on Friday 25th March. It's being hosted from 4pm to 6pm in the Large Rehearsal Room at the Students’ Union and is open to students, staff and the public.