THE PRICE OF EQUALITY: A Street Art Intervention
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2025
North Street, LEWES, UK
In 2025, we still find ourselves fighting for something that should be fundamental: equal pay for equal work. The gender pay gap remains a stark reality, but when we add ethnicity into the equation, the disparities become even more alarming. This year, to mark International Women’s Day, I am bringing my activism to the streets in the form of a new paste-up mixed-media piece—a protest, a celebration (of how strong women are), and a conversation starter.
The Numbers Speak—But Are We Listening?
The gender pay gap in the UK currently sits at 13.1% for full-time employees. But if you are a woman of Black African or Indian descent, that number shifts further in the wrong direction due to the compounded impact of both gender and racial biases. The ethnicity pay gap for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) workers has actually widened in recent years, now sitting at 7.7% compared to their white counterparts.
The financial sector, one of the UK’s most lucrative industries, shows an even wider chasm. And while some organizations have made progress, systemic inequalities persist. Women—especially women of color—are still being paid less for the same work, and the ripple effect of this injustice is felt across entire lifetimes. Lower wages mean lower pensions, less financial security, and fewer choices.
This isn’t just statistics; this is reality.
Liberté Egalité Fraternité Reimaginé
The original oil painting in Mischtechnik remains in my studio unfinished yet it is seeing the light of day as a paste up evolution mash up.
Taking the Conversation to the Streets
This International Women’s Day, I want to confront this inequality not just with words, but with an artwork that can also be enjoyed for its beauty and detail . This piece will exist in public space. By mixing paste-up of my own art and spray-painting, I hope to draw passersby with an image that invites them to stop, to think, to question, to act.
Why This Art? Why Now?
This piece is personal. My daughter—who is of mixed heritage— was my model for the original photo shoot for this painting, because she has a look which could transmute to many regions of the world, therefore a good representation. At the time, she was choosing her GCSEs, standing at the threshold of her future. I don’t want her brilliance judged by her name or her looks. I want her to walk into any room and be valued for her talent, not held back by bias. I ask: What kind of future are we offering young women like her? Will she enter a workplace where her talent is undervalued from day one?
Inspired by the iconic style of Alphonse Mucha. And bygone eras of Poster Art, I’m reimagining the original painting for the streets. I’m adapting my experimentation in street art into a more mixed, textural and feminine adaptation- a large-scale paste-up with spray paint for the street. Art has always been my way of responding to injustice, translating facts into something that can’t be ignored. Some may remember my piece Alice Against FGM, which was featured in the press. It was a bold statement, bringing an often-hidden issue into the public eye. My new work for International Women’s Day follows the same ethos—turning political realities into visual storytelling that invites attention and curiosity.
But awareness isn’t enough—action is needed. Linking Art to an action, or even knowledge is proven to have a positive social effect, and that's what I hope to achieve through my street art creations.
Let’s demand transparency, pay equity & real change … keep reading for some ideas of what you can do.
ART NOUVEAU Inspiration
Interesting fact…There are three nods to the original piece on my adaptation:
The top right curls of hair overlapping the dress design.
The dress design features are reimagined on a T-shirt.
The signature placement with stars
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Art alone isn’t enough. Awareness must lead to action.
✅ Demand Pay Transparency – Push for companies to disclose gender and ethnicity pay gap data and hold them accountable for change.
✅ Support Women-Owned Businesses – Buy from and invest in businesses run by women, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
✅ Advocate for Flexible Work Policies – Many women take on caregiving roles; pushing for remote work and flexible hours helps level the playing field.
✅ Call Out Bias in Hiring & Promotions – Challenge workplaces to address unconscious bias in recruitment and salary negotiations.
✅ Mentor & Sponsor Women – Lift up women in your field by mentoring or advocating for them in professional spaces.
✅ Push for Better Parental Leave – Advocate for policies that support shared parental leave, reducing the ‘motherhood penalty’ in career progression.
✅ Support Unions & Equal Pay Campaigns – Join or support organizations fighting for fair wages and better working conditions.
✅ Keep the Conversation Alive – Speak up, share stories, and amplify the voices of women impacted by pay inequality. Question, and challenge the norms that allow these disparities to persist.
EMPOWERED WOMEN
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EMPOWERED WOMEN 〰️
This International Women’s Day, let’s not just celebrate—we must demand more.
#IWD2025 #GenderPayGap #StreetArtForChange #EqualPay #WomenDeserveBetter #ArtActivism #MixedMediaArt #PasteUp #SprayPaintArt #FeministArt
Exploring the intersection of gender and ethnicity in pay disparities reveals significant inequities. Here are five notable findings
ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
I create because I believe change starts with visibility. This artwork is not just about pay; it’s about value. If we do not value women’s work, what does that say about how we value women themselves?
WHERE TO FIND THIS PIECE