You’re lost in your own world, until some stranger decides to interupt your thoughts, with the command to “Cheer Up”. And that’s at the lesser end of things we’ve had shouted at us. Cheer Up Luv is an online project set up by photojournalist Eliza Hatch to document women who have experienced sexual harassment in public.
As Eliza explains, “We toughen up from such a young age and learn to brush off and shut out unwanted comments you get from men. By the time you are 23 you are used to mild sexual harassment, and most of the time women rarely talk about it. So I think it is extremely important to photograph women in their daily surroundings, and give them a chance to say something back.”
Women from around the world have shared their stories (including our writer Marta) to help flip a story of victimisation into one of empowerment.
Head to the website to view more cheerupluv.com, and follow the project on Instagram @cheerupluv