He used it to humiliate me and call me his property. The tattoo made him feel entitled to me.
When I told WPA about my tattoo, they listened. They understood how my tattoo caused me to relive my trauma and how it put my life on hold. And that's when they asked me if I'd be interested in covering it up.
At the time I was a single mother raising my two-year-old daughter, participating in WPA's internship program, and moving on from my ex-partner.
Covering my tattoo was an unexpected way for me to redefine my story.
I covered his name with a crown to show that I'm the queen of my life - I conquer! Laying back in that chair, I finally closed that chapter of my life."
-MERLYN,
WPA Graduate and Case Manager
86%
of women in jail report a history of sexual assault. And that's just what's reported.
Many women enter the criminal legal system after years of interpersonal violence, coercion, and control. Some carry the marks of their horrific experiences - tattoos forced upon them by abusers to brand them as their property.
At WPA, we listen first. Women share stories of their painful pasts, and we work together to rebuild their futures. When a woman tells us she has an unwanted tattoo, we offer solutions.
We partner with tattoo studios to offer safe, trauma-informed tattoo cover-up sessions at no cost to participants. The experience is designed to return a woman's sense of bodily autonomy to her. Together, we empower her to reclaim her body and ultimately, her personal power.
"So many women at WPA have survived unthinkable experiences of interpersonal, systemic, and structural violence. Tattoo cover-up and removal is just one of many ways WPA offers comprehensive support."
-MIRIAM GOODMAN,
WPA Deputy Director
As experts in trauma response, WPA provides intensive case management, counseling, and court advocacy to those who have experienced intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation. We advocate for women to stay in their communities and not behind bars.
Our collaborative advocacy has resulted in hundreds of women not serving jail and prison sentences, as well as reduced and dropped charges.
Like survivor advocacy, cover-ups are not something we've always done at WPA. They aren't funded by our government partners or part of a core program. It's something we do, because it's what women need. And we can't do it without you.
Will you support WPA so we can continue to design programs that are trauma-informed and responsive to the individual needs that women identify?
With your support, we'll continue to provide women with safe spaces to address their past trauma and look ahead to the future.
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Please consider supporting the tattoo artists, studios, and laser removal companies that make this work possible:
Special thanks to Amanda Bart, Emerging Philanthropist Chair for organizing this project.
Photos courtesy of Gigi Stoll and Lili Kobielski.
Photos have been cropped or distorted to protect the safety and identities of participants.
Crown Art by Michelle Tarantelli
