These women are wearing bow blouses after a Nobel prize sex scandal

The Nobel Prize is one of the most respected accolades in the world; a recognition of mastery of a field in the sciences or arts. It's every writer's dream to win the Nobel Prize for literature, and every scientist's dream to win it over their research. Furthermore the committee of judges is expected to behave totally professionally, but unfortunately, all has not been well with the Nobel Prize lately.

The Swedish academy is allegedly almost at the point of complete collapse as a result of allegations made by 18 women regarding sexual assaults committed by Jean-Claude Arnault, as well as the leaks of the names of prize winners for this year. The scandal has gotten so dire that Sweden’s king Carl Gustaf has been forced to intervene, and has stated that he is now considering reforming the academy.

The story of Arnault's supposedly unsavoury conduct first broke in an article published in the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter in November, where a number of women reported that the famous photographer had raped, groped and sexually harassed them over a period of more than 20 years. The academy has since broken all ties with Arnault.

As a result, Sara Danius, head of the group that is responsible for awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature, has resigned from her post. But liberal Swedish women are wearing bow blouses, or scarves tied in the shape of her bow, to show their support, and images of the blouses are now trending on social media.

In a statement made to reporters on Thursday, Danius stated: "I am leaving the Academy as permanent secretary. It was the will of the Academy that I should leave my role. It feels pretty good." Danuis added that she hopes the Nobel committee "will survive as an institution". Arnault has denied the alleged sexual assaults, and a police investigation into criminal apparently committed between 2013-2015 has been stopped over a lack of physical evidence.

Poet Katarina Frostenson, who is Arnault's wife, has also been forced to quit the committee as a result of the accusations levied against her spouse. An official statement made by the Nobel prize board claims: "We can see that the trust in the Swedish Academy has been seriously damaged. It is not yet clear how this situation may tarnish the Nobel Prize’s reputation."

The Nobel prize was established by the Swedish industrial tycoon, chemist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel in the 19th century. Nobel, who was responsible for the invention of dynamite. Nobel's explosive had made him rich and respected, but had also earned him the nickname 'The Merchant of Death.'

When Nobel read his own premature obituary, he was appalled at the newspaper's presentation of him, and resolved to establish his eponymous prize in order to further the betterment of humanity. The prize is awarded by the reigning Swedish monarch every year on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.