The Clothesline Project weaves itself into the universal movement of emotional health and personal empowerment for women. We ask women to design shirts with personalized messages to be hung on the clothesline preferably with the following color codes:

• white for women who have died of violence.

• yellow for women who have been battered or assaulted.

• red or orange for women who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

• blue or green for women who are survivors of incest or child sexual abuse.

• purple or lavender for women who have been attacked because they are lesbian.

The purpose is to bear witness to survivors of the pervasive violence against women. We want men and women to learn more than just the statistics. We also want them to know the magnitude of the impact that these experiences have had on women's and children's lives. It is vitally important in the healing process for women to break the silence, to share their pain, and develop a sense of trust within themselves and within one another.

The Clothesline Project is sponsored by the National Organization of Women (NOW) and Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA).  This year the Clothesline Project was displayed in April during Crime Victims' Rights Week at the upper and lower campuses of Bucks County Community College., Doylestown.