SCREW YOU

Fake nails adorned with screwdrivers. A concept stemming from the idea of women holding keys in their hands as a form of self defence and protection. Contrasting objects that are typically seen as masculine & feminine as a way to visualise the differences in gendered experiences. Public spacing, environments, and cities are generally designed for men, by men. There is a lack of understanding about safety and the daily experiences of women navigating places & spaces. Having to constantly observe our surroundings and who is in them, affects how present we can feel in a space. Limiting our movements, what times we go out, 

avoiding certain routes, adjusting our clothing, and so on, creates what can be viewed as a metaphorical & physical barrier between women and our surroundings.   

“Women still experience the city through a set of barriers – physical, social, economic, and symbolic – that shape their daily lives in ways that are deeply (although not only) gendered. Many of these barriers are invisible to men, because their own set of experiences means they rarely encounter them...The city has been set up to support and facilitate the traditional gender roles of men and with men’s experiences as the “norm,” with little regard for how the city throws up roadblocks for women and ignores their day-to-day experience of city life.” - Leslie Kern, Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-made World