Orange the World – A Quilt Against Violence and for Visibility

Orange the World is a global campaign by UN Women held every year from November 25 to December 10, raising awareness about violence against women and children. Through orange light, public actions, and works of art, it sends a powerful message: violence must not be silenced.

With my quilt “Silence Tears Apart” I add my personal voice to this movement – a textile statement against silence and for the visibility of survivors.

When Silence Speaks Louder Than Screams

As a child, I experienced violence within my family — anger, fear, and moments of complete helplessness. Nights when voices thundered through the rooms. Days when silence weighed heavier than any scream. Always accompanied by the feeling of noticing everything — yet being unable to speak about anything.

This quilt reflects these very experiences. It tells a story of vulnerability, but also of strength. Of pain — and of the desire to no longer remain silent.

The Symbolism in the Quilt “Silence Tears Apart”

My work uses textile design as a deliberate visual language. Colors, lines, and forms express emotions that words cannot carry:

• The raised orange hand represents a desperate act of protection — for the child and the woman alike. In the spirit of Orange the World, the color orange embodies hope, courage, and the act of making violence visible.

• The solitary tear reveals silent pain — all that was never able to find words.

• The spirals in the background symbolize the emotional whirlwind of fear and helplessness that traps those affected.

• The sharply crossing quilt lines express inner rupture, pain, and emotional barriers.

My quilt invites observation — but seeks, above all, to be felt.

Textile Art as a Voice Against Violence

Through “Silence Tears Apart” I stitched not only memories, but healing. Each stitch is both a personal step toward recovery and a political act.

Materials and Techniques

• Dark, muted gray cotton fabrics mirror the heaviness of the theme.

• Hand-guided quilting produces nervous lines and expressive structures.

• Spirals and flowing quilting patterns enhance the feeling of inner motion.

• The orange appliqué draws the eye, consciously linking the work to the Orange the World campaign.

Orange the World – Why Being Seen Saves Lives

Domestic violence and violence against women and children are not private matters — they are issues of collective responsibility.

The Orange the World campaign makes visible, across the world, what is so often kept silent:

• One out of every three women will experience violence in her lifetime.

• Millions of children are raised in environments shaped by violence.

• Silence shields the perpetrator, never the victim.

Art can open spaces for dialogue, challenge taboos, and nurture empathy. My quilt is meant to invite people to look — rather than turn away.

With Thanks to UN Women Germany

Through the Orange the World initiative by UN Women Germany, I found the courage to share this profoundly personal work. Their dedication demonstrates how art can speak quietly, yet with great impact, within societal conversations.

Children need a quilt to cuddle

We are quilters from all over Germany who donate and support the outpatient children’s hospices with our self-sewn blankets and cushions. These blankets and cushions are intended to provide a nice and safe place to snuggle up and dream for children and young people in difficult life situations.
I am in regular exchange with the federal federation Bundesverband Kinderhospiz e.V. – Dachverband der Kinderhospize in Deutschland (bundesverband-kinderhospiz.de). The Federal Association distributes our blankets and cushions to children in need and their families. The blankets are sewn and quilted in different colours, patterns and sizes. They should provide a nice and safe place to cuddle up and dream. Every blanket is unique, just like every child.

We will definitely continue to sew and support the great work of the outpatient children’s hospices.

Anyone who would also like to donate blankets is welcome to contact me.

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. A long, formal name – for a painful and persistent reality.

Violence against women is everywhere:
According to the WHO, at least 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical, psychological, or sexualized violence in their lifetime. In Germany:

• A femicide occurs nearly every day,

• Every two days, a man kills his (ex-)partner,

• 63% of women face digital violence,

• 90% of young women feel fear when encountering unknown men at night.

Violence doesn’t only affect “others” – it affects all of us, directly or indirectly. That’s why it’s important to me not to stay silent.

I’m proud to be part of the Rhein MQG‘s contribution to the UN’s “Orange the World” campaign. On November 25, 2025, a virtual quilt exhibition will go live, highlighting this urgent issue – and my quilt will be part of it.

🧡 Orange stands for hope – and for the vision of a future free from violence.