Stop Street Harassment

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NYC will roll out anti-sexual harassment subway campaign

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A few weeks ago, there was talk that the New York City MTA was deciding not to launch their planned anti-sexual harassment subway ad campaign for fear it would encourage more groping. Among the anti-street harassment community, there was an outcry and demand that the campaign continue.

Good news, it’s set to launch next month.

The first 2,000 posters will be distributed throughout the system and should remain up for at least three months to “assess its impact,” said NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges.

The campaign was sparked by a report last year by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer that found 10 percent of women surveyed claimed to have been sexually abused and 63 percent reported having been sexually harassed.

I have to say that I’m thrilled this issue is being taken seriously and I hope that it will deter subway harassers and encourage those being harassed to report it. I take pride too in the fact that I wrote to MTA asking that they run the campaign so maybe our voices got heard 🙂

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Comments

  1. Laura says

    The only problem I have with the poster is that by saying ‘don’t feel ashamed…speak up…report it’ etc, it puts the onus on the woman. I think it would be much more effective to have these posters alongside others targeting the perverts: ‘Touching someone on the subway is a CRIME. You WILL be prosecuted.’ It’s a good move by the MTA but I am sick of hearing that as women it’s our duty rather than the perverts to stop this!