Thousands of pairs of unwashed knickers are hanging on a washing line in Johannesburg as part of an installation highlighting shocking numbers of rape cases in South Africa.
The duo behind the SA's Dirty Laundry project have pegged up 3,600 pairs of dirty pants on a 1,200m line around the city to represent the estimated number of people who are raped in the country every day.
Sexual assault survivors and campaigners Nondumiso Msimanga and Jenny Nijenhueis quickly reached their target after hundreds of women donated their underwear to the appeal that was shared widely across
Although the estimated figure of 3,600 rape cases every day in South Africa might seem astonishing, there's been some debate over the validity of it.
According to a 2013 Medical Research Council survey, up to 3,600 people in South Africa could be raped every day, but there's a massive difference between this statistic and the predicted figure from the UN, which says it's more likely to be around 132.
A fact-checking reportpublished by Africa Check says the campaign's figure is flawed and the installation doesn't make clear whether it is representing the number of daily rapes or sexual assualts in the country, which is higher.
UN Women representative Anne Githuku-Shongwe responded by saying raising awareness of the issue is great, but it's not so good to sensationalise figures as it 'neglects the complexity of the issue'.
Africa Check editor-in-chief Anim van Wyk said: 'We need better statistics to do something about the root of the problem … to offer solutions.'
However, Jenny said the figure was 'symbolic' and includes the number of rapes that go unreported in the country every day (only one in 13 rapes are reported, with low numbers of convictions).
Photos courtesy of SA's Dirty Laundry
Like this? You might also be interested in:
Brock Turner's Release Leads To These Moving Sexual Assault Awareness Campaigns
Police Attempt to Reassure Sexual Assault Victims Following Ched Evans Verdict
Follow Tara on Twitter: @taralepore
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.