Lilies of the streets
[Brussels 26 January 2017] This week the European Women’s Lobby staff & members met with Eglė Plytnikaitė, a freelance illustrator and journalist working and living in-between capital Vilnius and a little cob house in the woods in Lithuania. In her works, Eglė is mainly interested in social and environmental themes. She volunteers in various projects and works with victims of prostitution and human trafficking.
She presented the Lilies of the Streets project in which several artists capture real stories of people involved in prostitution; in illustrations and graphics. Her own book is called "The Invisibles", in which she wants to bring the horrific stories of real Lithuanian women’s experiences in prostitution to the public’s attention.
- The Invisibles, illustration by Eglė Plytnikaitė
In a moving presentation Eglė denounced the systems of prostitution and human trafficking and their many victims, in Lithuania, in Eastern Europe and in the world. She called on women and human rights organisations to take a firm stance, and campaign for a world free from prostitution. "I feel a responsibility to tell these stories of those who often remain invisible. I think it is time to look for solutions that could change the brutal reality." Eglė said.
The Lilies of the Streets project includes other works from among others MOSSDASH by Apila Pepita and Just a Whore by Ananda Walkabout. We highly recommend checking out the website.
- EWL members & staff meet Eglė Plytnikaitė in Vilnius
