Inside a Sydney warehouse, dozens of outfits are displayed across the walls. Pyjamas, baby clothes and a hi-vis workwear uniform are hung up, next to a piece of A4 paper that reveals the devastating story reason each item is there.
Next to a wedding dress, its owner has written three sentences.
‘My wedding dress. On the day of my wedding.
‘By my husband and his friends.’
The dress and every item alongside it are examples of the prevalence of sexual assault across the nation. The most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics said 31,118 instances of sexual assault were reported to police in 2021 – the largest number in 29 years.
Almost two-thirds of the victims were under the age of 18, and more than one third of the assaults were recorded as family and domestic violence related.
Sarah Williams, founder of What Were You Wearing Australia (WWYW) – a non-for-profit aiming to destigmatise and prevent sexual assault – said two new exhibitions are headed to Sydney over the next week, with others across the country in the works.
Ms Williams, a survivor of child sexual abuse, was just 19 when she brought WWYW to Australia, after it gained a following in America and parts of Europe following its launch in 2014.
What Were You Wearing, the exhibition, returns to Sydney on Saturday and Thursday. Picture: Supplied
Anyone, anywhere
The exhibitions aim to spread awareness that sexual assault can happen to anyone, anywhere – no matter what they’re wearing.
In previous showcases, clothes line the walls of the exhibition space, with confronting, real stories of sexual assaults attached to them.
Various garments from baby clothes to tradie uniforms, wedding dresses to T-shirts were displayed alongside the words of sexual assault survivors.
Ms Williams said over the past few years, WWYW Australia has received over 26,000 stories from people all over the country who have experienced some kind of sexual violence.
The first Australian exhibition of WWYW was held in Newcastle in 2021, with footage of the display soon going viral on social media platform, TikTok.
‘Each time it’s shared online, it just goes viral,’ Ms Williams said.
‘I think it really shows that it can happen to anyone, and it doesn’t matter what you were wearing.
‘It aims to take away that assumption that what you’re wearing can provoke abuse. We have had so many different clothing items on display – the wedding dress and baby clothes are two that hit really hard.’
Social media users were shocked to find a woman’s wedding dress also in the display. Picture: Supplied
A tradie uniform next to a survivor story. Picture: Supplied
Millions of people have viewed the TikTok videos, with users commenting on the shock they felt seeing the wedding dress and young children’s clothes.
‘My wedding dress. On the day of my wedding,’ the story alongside a long white gown in the exhibition read.
‘By my husband and his friends.’
Another survivor shared their story alongside a blue one-piece swimming outfit.
‘I was four and I was swimming in my family’s pool,’ they shared.
‘I tried to hop out of the pool but they dragged me back in. I’ve never told anyone.’
School dresses, bikinis, basketball shorts, pyjamas and tradie uniforms are other items that make up the exhibition.
The stories are also from a diverse range of people, with one man sharing his experience of sexual abuse by a colleague at a worksite.
Another person was 4 and dragged into the water when they were assaulted. Picture: Supplied
A woman, at 18, realised what she had been through wasn’t ‘ok’. Picture: Supplied
‘I was wearing my work uniform,’ the man shared.
‘I actually never told anyone what happened. I am also a male so I don’t want anyone to know my name, but I’ll smile when I see this represented.
‘I am a tradie and it happened at work by my superior.’
Ms Williams said after the success of the showcase online, the WWYW team is bringing the exhibitions back, but this time, with a twist.
‘We have some in the works for Sydney, Melbourne and in Tasmania towards the end of the year and the start of next year,’ she said.
‘But we’re actually going to have people wearing the clothes, kind of like a fashion show, but instead showing that people can really be wearing anything when they’re abused.
‘We’re aiming to get a diverse group of people to wear the clothes,’ she said.
Sarah Williams, centre, founded the Australian leg of WWYW when she was just 19. Picture: Supplied
WWYW have announced a pop-up Sydney show on Saturday June 17 at the Law Lounge in the University of Sydney (Camperdown) from 11.30-3pm.
Collaborating with The Survivor Hub and Stories of Consent, WWYW will display more items of clothing worn by sexual assault survivors.
A 56-year-old man experienced sexual violence for the first time in a grey polo shirt. Picture: Supplied
One person shared they were 3 years old and in a onesie during one experience of sexual violence. Picture: Supplied
Safety at all hours
The non-for-profit has also launched a ‘Safer Nights Out Campaign’ to advocate for safer spaces and practices within licensed venues.
As part of the campaign, Ms Williams said a ‘clothes line’ version of the popular, confronting exhibition will take place outside the Parliament House in Sydney on Thursday June 22.
‘We are fighting to amend the RSA – add a section on drink spiking and sexual violence awareness. It’s imperative that more is done to make our night-life safer,’ WWYW wrote on social media.
‘This petition is more than a few words, it’s going to save lives. Since 2021, we have collected over 26,000 stories from survivors. With over 14,000 of these being in relation to the music industry, night-life and drink spiking. We have heard you and we are doing this for you.
‘It’s now in the hands of our government on whether they will hear our calls, and make this desperate change. The fight is not over, but the first part is complete.’
After sharing some harrowing stories of people who have experienced drink spiking in Aussie venues, Ms Williams and her team set out to gather support for legislative change to provide more services so people can enjoy safer nights out.
The WWYW team advocate for an end to sexual violence in Australia. Picture: Supplied
Armed with over 20,000 signatures on a petition to enforce mandatory spiking and sexual violence training for security and bar staff, Thursday’s exhibition is aimed at politicians to show them the effects of drug affected violence in clubs and hospitality venues.
‘It’ll be a shock to politicians coming and going from Parliament House,’ Ms Williams said.
‘Hopefully they do the right thing and vote to put protective training in place for bar staff.’
People are encouraged to attend the outdoor exhibition between 2-5pm at the parliament debates the petition put forward by Ms Williams and the WWYW team.
Dates and locations for the WWYW exhibition, starting again in Newcastle, will be announced at a later date.
