Wages for Reproductive Paperwork

Aim

This is a socially engaged arts project to create a archive of drawings visualising reproductive work performed by mothers in the UK.

In the spirit of the 1975 Wages Wages for Housework campaign and the Global Women's Strike, 'Wages for Reproductive Paperwork' is a feminist socially engaged art project honouring and giving economic value to the invisible reproductive work performed by mothers. The project accepts donations from anyone who values the daily work performed for free by mothers as well as inviting participant mothers to be involved. Participants are requested to donate a single piece of documentary evidence of reproductive paperwork to be emailed to the artist: [email protected]. The document will be created into an A4 pencil drawing by artist Penny Davis. For each £100 that is crowdfunded a drawing will be produced. £50 will be gifted to the participant who donated the document drawn as restitution for their reproductive work and artist Penny Davis will be paid £50 to produce the drawing. Only one document can be submitted by participant mothers. Identifying information will be redacted during the drawing process to protect the confidentiality of participants, their children and others with some information replaced by a random letter, number or symbol. The geographical location of the document will remain. The term 'mother' is inclusive of all those responsible for the care of a child or adult irrespective of gender but the project is intended as a form of restitution for the gendered oppression and devaluation of care work as 72.6% of unpaid care and domestic work is carried out by women and girls globally. The document can be digital or physical and as a suggestion might fit into the following categories: any form of correspondence (drawings/writings/texts/emails/letters/forms etc...) with a child, adult, school, government or public organisation, private company where the subject centres around the care of a child or adult and is sent to or from the carer of that person. For examples visit https://www.pennydavis.com/wages-for-reproductive-paperwork Submissions will be processed in date order of receipt. Participants will be notified when a document has been received and again when it has been drawn, along with a request for bank details to transfer funds. If the drawing is sold at a later date 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Make Mothers Matter: https://makemothersmatter.org/

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th July 2026 at 8:11am