Stamps of Disapproval

Stamp of Disapproval |  2014  |  (H)activism Iniative
Violence against women is both a consequence of and a cause of inequality between men and women.  It is a global situation that is so serious that the head of the UN Peacekeeping was recently quoted as saying "'It is now more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier in conflict." 
#SOD Navigation:   Stamps of Disapproval and Methods | #SOD Activism Zine | Data Gathering | Project Background
Our aim is simple, we want to make the issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV) more visible.

​We need to break the silence  to galvanise change.  

We Disapprove of the Silence.

Our strategy is to mark every incident of recorded GBV with our STAMP.  We need your help.   We need to you stamp your area.

Be as inventive as you like, tweet you solutions to #SOD or #STAMPOFDISAPPROVAL.

How to Get Started

  1. Locate the scenes of reported violence in your locality.  (See section on Data Gathering)
  2. Devise a method to make your STAMP OF DISAPPROVAL.  (Two examples are provided below)
  3. Go and STAMP
  4. Tweet us using the hashtag #SOD or #STAMPOFDISAPPROVAL.

Toolkit V2. (Sole Stamps)

Due to the high volume of reported violence and sexual assaults and therefore high volume of stamps needed,  we are are having to come up with new ideas to STAMP OUR DISAPPROVAL more efficiently.

I'm currently prototyping  "Sole Stamps".  These are rubber soles milled in a CNC machine.  Once tested and approved by the #SOD Activists I'll upload a CAD file so you can get your shoes printed at your local Fab Lab and tell the world what you think about violence.

New #SOD Activist Zine

Click on the image below to go to the new #SOD Activist Zine page.  This Zine is very handy to print out and make into a small booklet that provides you with useful information and can be passed on to people to give them some background into your activities.   Always carry one with you when engaged in #SOD activities.  Please contact me if you have any suggestions for improvement.

Toolkit V1. (Bag)

Follow the instructions on the left to create a covert graffiti stencil bag.   This is an ordinary paper shopping bag with a stencil cut out of the bottom.  This will allow you to subtly spray a stencil on the road.  Anyone passing by will simply think that you're some old lady rummaging around in the bottom of her shopping bag for her keys!

  1. Make covert graffiti bag.
  2. Purchase some orange paint.
  3. Find an area near you where a scene of violence against a woman has been recorded. Click Here for instructions.
  4. Print out the map and locations.
  5. In each location,  place the bag and discreetly spray into the bottom of the bag.  This will creating an orange graffiti mark to denote the place where the act of violence / sexual assault has occurred.

    This is your Stamp of Disapproval.

  6. If you have the time it would be great if you could tweet an image using #SOD or #STAMPOFDISAPPROVAL..  This will help show support for the project and get other people interested.

    Thank you for being a #SOD Activist.
This is a PDF file of the stencil used.  Please click on it to download.
TEMPLATE.PDF
File Size: 510 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Notes

  1. Statistics taken from Rape Crisis.
  2. UN Toolkit ---> Click Here.
  3. This method of covert bag stencilling has been widely utilized worldwide in struggles against the authorities.
  4. This project was partly inspired by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women.  
  5. For support for victims of violence and sexual offences click here.
  6. We acknowledge that much GBV  takes place in the home.  We endeavor to take care  that we don't identify the actual house.