An English cafe in Portswood, Southampton, has a new street art on the outside of its sidewall that has earned the owners both praise and criticism.

Kate Jeffcoate, the manager of Portswood's Muse Cafe, which now sports a street art graffiti-ish design on its exterior that has the words "Protect Your Daughter", crossed out with a red X and the words "Educate Your Sons" under it, said the cafe commissioned the street artwork after "inappropriate comments" were made to female staff.

The slogan is associated with the campaign against violence against women and it reinforces the idea that victim-blaming shouldn't be encouraged and the shame or prevention of wrongdoing shouldn't be borne entirely by the receiving party.

Noting that the artwork's message resonated with her staff, Jeffcoate elaborated on what prompted the decision to have the wall art, saying: "Through lockdown we would have single members of staff working due to social distancing rules and unfortunately found that our female staff occasionally had to deal with instances of individuals making inappropriate comments about our looks, being a little forward, etc.

"It's stuff that may not seem a big deal to some, but for a woman alone can feel quite intimidating and uncomfortable."

However, in spite of the noble intent of the creators, the street artwork hasn't been welcomed as widely as they would have expected. 

Several complaints have been made against the public art's message on social media and even at the city council.

While many on the cafe's social media sites welcomed the message, others criticized it as "provocative" and "stereotyping men".

Additionally, Southampton City Council said several complaints had been made about it "stereotyping men".

"We are aware there have been some complaints regarding the new street art that has been installed outside Muse café in Portswood," Southampton City Council said in a statement, however, it said it did not have the authority to remove the artwork from private or commercial property and the issue was a matter for the business owner.

The issue of women's safety was brought to the front burner of public discussion in England some months ago after the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who disappeared on her walk home in early March in South London during Britain's coronavirus lockdown.

Her body was eventually found after days of searching accompanied by public outcry. Police investigation led to the arrest of an off-duty male metropolitan police officer who was eventually charged with her kidnap and murder.

Jeffcoate disclosed that her cafe's street art was commissioned around the time of the Sarah Everard death, saying, "we felt frustration that it really is madness that females have to take so many extra precautions that males wouldn't even have to think about."

At Aworanka, we believe art is as much a social tool just as it is an expression of creativity, and street art can and has been used to create awareness, kickstart culture change, and impact social consciousness. Thus, appreciation and criticism are evidence that the artwork is impactful.