When a woman decides to report rape, instead of punishing the perpetrator, people still question the victim. And amongst a myriad of questions, “What was she wearing?” somehow always makes it to the list.
It’s 2018 and women are STILL expected to answer this utterly disgusting question.
To make the point that it doesn’t matter what she was wearing, an exhibition is being held in Molenbeek, Brussels, showcasing what rape victims were wearing at the time of the crime.
Called “Is it my fault?”, the exhibit includes clothes like tracksuits, pyjamas and dresses.
Lieshbeth Kennes, a training and counselling employee of CAW, a victim support group that gave the clothes, said, “What you immediately notice when you walk around here: they are all very normal pieces that anyone would wear. There is even a children’s shirt with an image of ‘My Little Pony’ in the exhibition, which brings home a harsh reality.”
“We would like people to understand that every women could wear what they want, they shouldn’t be attacked. That’s what the exhibition shows: no outfit prevents rape,” Delphine Goossens, Molenbeek prevention service’s project manager said.
I repeat: No outfit prevents rape.