Is There Justice For Women?

Created by Lauren Brazele

A 1977 New York Times article posed the question “is there justice for women?,” calling out the sex discrimination that occurs in the court system and the impact that such discrimination can have on victims of sexual assault. This collage tells the stories of women who were subjected to invasive and humiliating court proceedings while trying to pursue justice. These potentially traumatizing experiences included being questioned about previous sexual activity, what they were wearing, and whether or not they drink or smoke. One woman, Inez Garcia, was even asked to draw a diagram of what happened when she was raped during a trial. Furthermore, this collage shares the fight to change laws related to this issue that happened during the 1970s in an attempt to protect victims from being further traumatized by the discriminatory legal system. This occurred in the same time period where the contestation over whether or not to pass the Equal Rights Amendment increased tensions amongst feminists. This, in combination with the rise of the anti-abortion movement, served to further politicize women’s issues and raise questions about women’s autonomy.