This work has been created as a companion piece for two statues which are on permanent display in Hartlepool Art Gallery embodying the historical struggle women face in the fight for equality.

Following a report published in 2020 stating that 97% of British women have experienced some form of sexual harassment, this project was created to offer residents of Hartlepool and visitors to Hartlepool Art Gallery the opportunity to share their experiences and help highlight the reality of this truly shocking statistic.

The women’s rights movement has achieved so much. It is important to recognise the progress that has been made towards realising true equality, however, there is still much work to do to fully smash through the metaphorical glass ceiling which has been created by many patriarchies and cultures throughout human history to the present day. 

The three most common sexual harassment behaviours experienced by women were: unwelcome sexual jokes, inappropriate staring/looks and unwanted sexual comments.

This project was in response to Alice Hawkins’ exhibition The Female Gaze: Revisited.

Around 40 people worked on this project by joining in discussions, sharing stories and/or adding a ‘shard of glass’ to help create the final piece. This was done by a drop in session at the art gallery, working with a youth group and a ‘post box’ for visitors to anonymously leave a comment on a piece of Perspex.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed.