16 Days of Activism
What Women Hold
The City of Adelaide presents What Women Hold during the 16 Days of Activism in 2025.
This Public Art display shares women’s experiences of unfair treatment, housing stress, and life without a safe place to call home.
The project invites the community to listen, speak up, and stand with women seeking safety to drive change.
You can find the display in Paul Kelly Lane from 25 November to 10 December 2025.
Presented in partnership with Catherine House and The Art Bus artists and curators Claire Harris and Miranda Harris
Main image Photo credit: Sam Roberts
These monoprints were made by women who were supported by Catherine House during a 12-month workshop program in 2024 that was curated by The Art Bus.
Working together we explored the ways gender and homelessness intersected, and women described a homelessness journey as often, but not always, going from cars, to tents, to couch surfing, and finally to cement.
Experiences of homelessness were connected to and shaped by the broader social determinants of health including family violence, unstable employment, mental ill health, divorce, and women’s often low levels of superannuation.
The current cost of living crisis, and spiralling rents, added to the increasing anxiety felt by many women especially older women.
- Claire Harris & Miranda Harris, The Art Bus
What is 16 Days of Activism?
The 16 Days of Activism is a United Nations campaign that calls for action around the world to end gender-based violence. You are invited to share your support on social media by using the hashtags #NoExcuse and #ACTtoEndViolence to help start conversations about this issue.
To learn more about the campaign, visit 16 Days of Activism.
This project continues the City of Adelaide’s work to support its community through public art, including I Am Not Your Doormat (2024), Demand a Better World for Women and Girls (2023), and Benches of Hope (2022).
The banners
Support services
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit the 1800RESPECT website.
Past projects
Public Art has the power to connect people, to share messages and to encourage conversation and action.
This year's temporary artwork installation I am NOT your Doormat is by South Australian artist Jane Skeer and can be viewed between the City of Adelaide on Pirie Street and Pilgrim Church in Paul Kelly Lane for the duration of the 16 days of Activism in 2024.
This installation of 150 doormats draws attention to family and domestic violence as a public issue that we each have a responsibility to speak out against #Noexcuse, Unite to End Violence Against Women for the duration of the 16 Days of Activism in 2024 (25 November – 10 December).
A temporary installation of 51 pairs of shoes worn and donated by women with lived experience of domestic and family violence was displayed over the weekend, 25-26 November 2023, in Adelaide’s CBD, along Francis Street between Rundle Mall and the City Library.
This temporary installation was designed to invite City visitors to consider the shocking statistics, to reflect on the causes, to find out more, and to prompt conversations and take action that could change behaviours and save lives.
Each pair of shoes represented a woman killed through gendered violence in Australia so far in 2023.
Statistics used in the display were supplied by Destroy the Joint and accurate as of 20 November 2023.
With thanks to project partner Catherine House, an organisation supporting women experiencing Domestic and Family Violence and Homelessness in South Australia, who supplied shoes donated by clients and supporters.
Benches across the north, southeast and southwest of the city were painted during workshops as part of Benches of Hope.
The 5 benches are located at:
- 86 Sturt Street, Adelaide (near Russell Street intersection)
- 160 Sturt Street, Adelaide (next to Erb & Flo cafe)
- 221 Sturt Street, Adelaide (in front of Sturt Street Primary School)
- 178 Tynte Street, North Adelaide (in front of North Adelaide Community Centre)
- 269 Halifax Street, Adelaide (opposite Cibo Café, Hutt St intersection)
"Painting the bench to bring awareness to International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women brought so much fun, joy and happiness whist painting these Benches of Hope that I almost forgot the reason we were painting them."
– Bronwyn, North Adelaide resident
“The graduating students at Sturt Street Community School were very excited to have the opportunity to work with Leah and learn new skills. They were very sensitive to the reasons for painting the bench and will cherish the memory of doing this permanent artwork in their final weeks of their primary school lives. I also enjoyed having an opportunity to paint the bus seat on the corner of Halifax and Hutt Street. It was especially rewarding having people pass by and comment on how colourful it was and ask questions about the reason for painting it. It was a fun experience to be involved in and work along the City of Adelaide council to raise awareness of violence against women.”
– Lyn, Sturt Street Community School
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