In the wake of a sexual assault on a local woman in Iowa City,Taylor Yocom (a student at the University of Iowa) decided to ask female classmates what they would use to protect themselves in the event of an attack.
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
The 22-year-old photography student wasn’t surprised as each female pulled out keys (worn as sharp knuckles), rape whistles, mace, and even mini taser guns.
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
What really caught Yocom’s attention was how drastically different her male classmates’ vulnerabilities were.
Source: Taylor Yocom
“The men in our class were shocked,” she told BuzzFeed News. “They didn’t even have to think of having these objects.”
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
This realization inspired Yocom to created Guarded, a photo series that documents women and the objects they carry to protect themselves, daily.
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
On her website, Yocom says, “The objects of self-defense we attached to our key chains spoke volumes.”
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
“They were the physical manifestation of the realities that women have to face every day: the necessity to be ‘on guard’ in a society plagued by rape culture and victim blaming.”
Source: Taylor Yocom
Source: Taylor Yocom
Ultimately, the series serves as an eye-opener and hopefully a call for reform in the way we treat one another, especially women.
Source: Taylor Yocom
To move forward and make the world a better place, we need to be socially responsible and accept the reality of how often women are sexually and physically assaulted. These young women have rape whistles, mace, and pocket stun guns for a reason and it’s not because “they’re asking for it.”
You can see many more portraits from this series as well as more of Yocom's photography on her website. Guarded will be on display at Public Space One in Iowa City, IA from May 8th through the 31st.
