In Egypt, a radical street art collective called Women on Walls (WOW) has emerged from the chaos of revolution to publicize the struggles that the country’s female population endures regularly. Since WOW was launched in December 2012 by activists Mia Grondahl and Angie Bagela, it has nearly tripled in size: The group now claims over 60 members, a dozen of which are females.
WOW empowers women both through the messages it spreads and by giving them a voice in predominantly male street art culture. Many of the murals depict female cultural leaders, while others respond to sexual harassment — a huge issue in Egypt, with more than 80% of females having been sexually harassed on the street, according to the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights.
While collective members are often mocked while they’re creating their art, they’ve received plenty of support and remain hopeful that they can ultimately inspire major social change.
(Photos: Mia Grondahl/Flickr)
