Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
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Minying Huang, Amman, Jordan, SSH Blog Correspondent
Laila Ajjawi is a renowned Palestinian graffiti artist and activist living in Irbid, Jordan, working to help empower women and communities of refugees. Through her artwork, she seeks to highlight discrimination, navigate Palestinian identities, deconstruct gender ideology, and reclaim the largely male-dominated Jordanian public space. By placing women at the centre of her pieces and celebrating female potential in all facets of life, she is challenging patriarchal attitudes and changing social perceptions.
This is my interview with her.
Have there been difficulties? Have you faced any opposition or resistance, or has the feedback been overwhelmingly positive and supportive?
Sometimes I will get positive feedback, even during the painting process. Passers-by will give compliments; some try to help. A few respond negatively and there is always criticism! But I’m always friendly because I don’t need enemies, especially when there’s the constant risk that someone will take down my art, maybe within an hour of me finishing.
Common themes found in your work include: freedom and oppression, the stigmatisation of refugees, the role of women in society, cultures of silence, and humanity’s ability to transcend boundaries. Is Jordanian society responsive to the messages you are hoping to convey?
Most of it relates to how people see themselves from the inside, the invisible boundaries and stereotypes that people impose on themselves. In my country, these sorts of feelings limit your vision and, by extension, your achievements, because from a young age society is dictating what you can and can’t do, what you should and shouldn’t do, depending on your gender, your age, where you live, or where you come from… I can’t say that all of Jordanian society suffers from gender-based violence… and, to varying extents and in varying degrees, all societies suffer the same problems. But we cannot merely rely on statistics as, for example, many do not report violence. There are so many problems, so many crimes against humanity, that go unheard of, unpunished, and unseen.
Your work is bold, brave, and powerful, rich with imagery and symbolism. Can you detail your creative process? What inspires you to create?
The key is always the location, no matter what my chosen subject is. I will always have a look around the surrounding area and talk to local people of all ages and genders. I call this the scouting process and it’s very important to me.Usually, I have the sketch ready in advance, completed in a moment of inspiration. I then have to scout out different locations to determine a good spot that attracts a lot of people. Once I’ve found my location, I will chat with the site owner, among others. At this point, I might rethink my original ideas and revise the sketch completely! This is followed by a quick draft on the wall after which the regular painting process begins. The finishing touches are the details.
Do you think all art is political in some capacity? Would you say that artists have a responsibility to try and effect change in their communities?
Not all art, surely. You know, cavemen used to document their hunting journeys through art… and it’s since developed into a tool to express an array of feelings and thoughts, some of which are political. As for an artist’s responsibility, it really varies from artist to artist. Factors to consider include: background, environment, level of self-education (sometimes level of formal education), level of general awareness, inherited and personal notions of responsibility, and one’s relationship with their surroundings and the wider world. Each artist sees the world from a distinctly unique perspective, and their experiences will shape – and be reflected in – their artwork. Some create art merely for fun; some view art as a means of self-expression; others believe themselves to be messengers of peace, for example.
Can you share one or two defining experiences that have shaped your values? How has your life influenced your art?
One defining moment was when I noticed how visually impactful graffiti can be, how it transforms the spaces it occupies. Graffiti is a great tactic to use when you want to convey a message, especially in social issue campaigns, as its presence in public spaces means that your thoughts will be able to reach more people and influence the public mind. The realization that graffiti perfectly combines art and activism then inspired me to take it to the next level, gain more experience, and learn more about social activism and the role art has to play. I have a very strong sense of responsibility, social and otherwise, which ties into why I do what I do.
Maybe this is because I’ve been brought up in a good family where everyone works so hard simply to be able to afford basic necessities and where getting an education was the main priority. Living in a refugee camp my entire life wasn’t easy. My family literally started from zero. My parents had no bank accounts, no land, no property. They were always working hard to keep the family afloat; and so, being the oldest, I had to take care of my younger brothers and sisters. When I graduated, I worked so many different jobs so as to become financially independent, pay back my loans, and help supplement the family income. I studied science – and I do love science – as I couldn’t afford to study art. I had to teach myself through university library visits and would go to art professors for guidance.
How did you get into graffiti? What about it speaks to you over other art forms?
The cornerstone of my graffiti journey was participating, for the first time in my life, in a regional art festival, organized by Women on Walls (WOW). This event took place in the capital of Amman, just over an hour away from my city of Irbid, and gave me the chance to step outside my community and meet other artists who were working with different forms and materials.Prior to that, I had experimented within the walls of Irbid Refugee Camp, where I had used spray colours to depict something relating to the resistance in occupied Palestine. I wanted to build on this experience further by painting a large mural, drawing on watercolour art for inspiration. It was so challenging and I think I must have spent two days just staring at the wall before actually starting the piece.
For some reason I lost all sense of time and my surroundings; I was solely focused on the wall, the art, the steadiness of my hand. I was thrilled to discover just how fast I could work, how quick I was to adapt to this new medium. It was exciting to know I was just as capable of working to such a large scale as I was of drawing on regular A4 paper. I felt such passion in that moment. In other words, graffiti gave me such a high! And when I finished, I felt as though something within me had been set free and cast onto that wall.
Thank you for shedding light on the many challenges and injustices women encounter in their daily lives, from gender-based violence enshrined within a rigid honour code to limited access to education. What are the existing social and legal obstacles to progress here in Jordan and the Middle East where women’s issues are concerned?
Some obstacles to progress I see in this community, as in other communities, are: poverty, unemployment, social injustice, government corruption, unequal access to education, work, and decent services. I would add that these are challenges and injustices people of all genders are facing. It’s natural to expect more problems within communities that struggle to meet basic needs, in which people are unable to secure a good income (both in terms of salary and the nature of the work).Law is another crucial issue. Here in Jordan, we have some laws that divide such communities, directly and indirectly, whereby one side is given more power than another which results in more injustice for victims.
You have worked with enormously impactful organisations and initiatives such as Women on Walls, ActionAid ARI (Arab Regional Initiative), and SheFighter. Can you tell us a little bit about these projects?
All the above organizations share similar ideas as regards empowering women in society at large. They invited me to work with them, which is an honour and shows me that my work and my message have been met with recognition.
Women are breaking the silence, fighting for their rights, and striving to assume control of their own lives. Do you feel that now more than ever this region is ready for – and open to – a real shift in attitudes and behaviour?
Not all the initiatives are smart and practical. A lot of them target, and operate within, areas where women can, for the most part, do whatever they want. They don’t target the more closed communities beyond the capital city and cosmopolitan coastal areas. But it’s in these closed communities that women suffer the most. A lot of the activism is just talk, whether about the problems or the victims, but few are taking active steps to tackle the root of the problem, which is what I’m trying to do. By filling the streets with images of strong, empowered women, I’m trying to change public perceptions and attitudes.A small organisation that, in my opinion, is doing meaningful work in the field of female empowerment is IRC Jordan (International Rescue Committee).
Is feminism considered a dirty word in the Arab world?
Yes, because there are those who misunderstand the actual meaning of the word. Feminists have a reputation for hating men here. And some do act out aggressively against society, make generalisations, and talk about men as if they were monsters, wanting female superiority, and breaking with the idea that men and women each hold up half the sky. Meanwhile, there are feminists, who understand the true meaning of feminism, working to empower women in poor communities; they are setting up start-up projects, encouraging women to work, and promoting self-development. There are feminists campaigning for equality to be enshrined in law; they are campaigning for fairer salaries in the private sector, for example, and rallying against the unjust laws concerning honour killings, citizenship, and nationality.
At this point in time, what are your goals? What are your personal and professional aspirations?
I need to break down the stereotypes people around the world have of Arab girls, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and of the Arab region in general.I also want to show young people that they have the power to start something great, to effect change from within. I want them to believe in themselves.
What are you working on at the moment? Do you have any upcoming projects Stop Street Harassment readers should keep an eye out for?
I’m still undecided as I left my job and got married with a plan to leave the country and move to Saudi Arabia! Before I leave, I hope to gift a few more graffiti pieces to my community. I have so many unfinished projects that I will continue to work on in Saudi Arabia, one of which is a science-fiction novel. I’m also designing an art studio for myself, a much-needed space in which I can figure out what my next big move is.
You can keep up-to-date with Laila and her work on Facebook, Instagram @lailanajjawi, and Twitter @Laila_Ajjawi.
Minying is a 20-year-old student from Cambridge, England. She is studying for a BA in Spanish and Arabic at Oxford University and spent the last academic year living in Amman, Jordan. You can find her on Twitter @minyingh, Instagram @minyingh, and Facebook @minyinghuangpoetry.
Alice C.R., Barcelona, Spain SSH Blog Correspondent
The 25th of November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Like every year and (almost) everywhere else, Spain and Barcelona have organized various events, from conferences to theater play and demonstrations.
I have always had mixed feelings about such a “Day”. Of course, I like the idea of focusing on violence against women. This is a good way to catch the attention of people and media and I hope this can help to rise awareness about how real it is. Statistically speaking, we all know women who have been the victim of this kind of violence.
But at the same time, I am a bit skeptical. What about the others days? Acts of violence occur every single day. Putting a focus on one day seems to me like a good deed we only do to have a clear conscience so we can forget about it until next year. And it seems even more true with the success of all these International Days. I have been quite surprised to learn about the existence of an International Underwear Day, a World Egg Day and a World Pasta Day, among hundreds of other “celebrations”.
But, if at least one person can learn more and become aware thanks to the 25th of November, it will make my day.
As I was saying, in Barcelona we have a lot of events and activities. And not only the 25th but across the whole month of November.
I made an intervention yesterday about a project I will speak about next time and I will attend a self-defense workshop next Saturday. And this is what I would like to speak about. It is not really specific to Spain nor Barcelona but it is a topic that has caught my attention for a while.
Every 25th of November and every 8th of March (International Women’s Rights Day), woman are offered self-defense classes and workshops. I think it is very important to offer specific classes to women since women are subjected to specific violence. While workshops are very well done, others are not so well prepared and I must say that some initiatives simply offend me.
Let’s start with what I think is problematic:
First of all, I am tired of the people who say, “Women should go to self-defense class to learn how to defend themselves and protect themselves from being assaulted”. Effectively, you can find in Barcelona some “anti-rape” self-defense workshop. Programs include how to use your keys, a piece of paper and how to deal with strangulation…
I do not like that:
– It tells me that if I do it, I will be able to avoid a rape or any other assault. I could say, “Hurrah! I am protected”. But we all know it does not work like that. Self defense is good, self defense can help you in some dangerous situation but self defense can’t guarantee you will be protected.
This is just another way to put the responsibility on the victim. We ask the potential victims to do an activity whether they like it or not, to take away from their free time, from their energy, from their savings (usually you have to pay for most of these classes) instead of asking potential harassers and attackers to follow workshops and classes about how not to harass and attack.
– It won’t change anything about a possible harassment or assault. I mean, if I need to defend myself that means that I am already attacked. Prevention=zero. But if we want reduce the amount of harassment and assault we need to focus on prevention. The best prevention is education. Educate people that “no” means “no”, that no one is “asking for” being harassed, assaulted. Well, you get the idea.
All this makes me feel that women’s fear for rape and assault is bankable. The offenses and crimes we can be victim of generate a business at our expense.
Then, why did I enrolled for a workshop myself?
Well, because I believe self defense can help me being more confident and develop my strength.
In fact, I am not against it, but this has to be done in good, safe conditions by instructors who know the consequences of an assault, the consequences of being harassed on your way home after a long day at work or in the bus going out with your friends. I am sure a lot of instructors try to do their best and really want help women to feel more safe and confident but from being in their class, I know this does not work.
What works is a class where you feel free to leave if you feel uncomfortable with an exercise, not were you are “forced” to participate because you need to “surpass yourself”, where you will be taught how to develop your proper strength and not standard way of defense, and where no one will tell you that every woman should practice self-defense but that every women should have the right to feel and be safe in any public space even without taking part in self defense class.
Alice likes researching, analyzing and writing about Women’s Rights, gender bias, and intersectionalism with a special focus on sexual violence, rape, rape culture, the impact of street harassment and how the media deals with these issues. She is currently working on a new project focused on how some media participate in the revictimization of victims. Follow her and her projects on her Facebook page and via Twitter @Alyselily.
Today, November 25, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, organized by the UN. The UNiTE campaign “strongly emphasizes the need for sustainable financing for efforts to end violence against women and girls towards the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Why?
“One of the major challenges to efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide is the substantial funding shortfall. As a result, resources for initiatives to prevent and end violence against women and girls are severely lacking.”
To that end, we encourage you to consider donations to these organizations that are working to address and end violence against women and girls:
Today is also the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign (being commemorated for its 25th year), coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership.The theme of the 16 Days Campaign is “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All”. According to the 16 Days website,
“This theme recognizes that structural discrimination and inequality is perpetuated in a cycle of violence that does not end even when girls and young women are in the act of gaining an education. Gender-based violence with respect to the right to education is a consistent threat in public spaces, schools, and homes and is a detriment to the universal human right to education and it is our obligation to focus on the precarious situation of education for girls and boys, young women and men this year through the 16 Days Campaign.”
Many girls and women also face violence and harassment simply traveling TO and FROM school and college. This also must be addressed if we want to see girls be able to safely receive an education.
For more information on this specific problem, see the Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s report that includes information on street harassment.
Join the conversations online with #16Days and take a stand against violence against women.
Remember, donate if you can! Our work relies on the generous contributions of people like you.
On this day of giving thanks, I give thanks for everyone who is part of the Stop Street Harassment community. This includes:
You are incredible, thank you for helping make the world a safer place!