Powerful photo shows 'Happy International Women's Day' being erased from university steps
An image showing security guards ordering a cleaner to wash away the words "Happy International Women's Day" written on the steps of a building at Oxford University has sparked outrage online.
The image, which was tweeted by Dr Sophie Smith, an associate professor of political theory at Oxford University has been retweeted 10K times and liked by 12K.
The photo shows a female cleaner using a mop to clean off the message, which had been written in chalk on the steps of the Clarendon Building at the university. Four male security staff members stand behind her.
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The photo sparked a great deal of anger online, with some saying it had the makings of "one of those truly iconic images."
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One person said that the university, by erasing the message, was "suppressing freedom of expression."
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The university has since apologised for removing the message. "We are deeply sorry for this and for offence caused," read a tweeted posted by Oxford University. " International Women's Day is hugely important to Oxford. This should not have happened."
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Smith, the original poster of the image, responded to the apology, stating that the woman who was told to erase the message should also receive a "heartfelt" apology, a "warm cup of tea," the remainder of the day off, and "along with all our precarious staff, good enough pay to live in this city."
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Topics Activism
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
