Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for 2011

“Hopefully that guy learned his lesson and didn’t harass any other women that night.”

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My most recent brush with Street Harassment was this last Tuesday aka, Mardi Gras. It actually turned out to be kind of funny.

So I was on my way to meet friends. Even though I live in NOLA, I still can forget where certain streets are. I had to back track to find them. As I’m passing a group of young guys one calls out to me, “You made a huge mistake walking by yourself little girl.”

I was actually on my cell at the time. The guy proceeds to lunge at me. I’m guessing I was supposed to jump or scream in fear. That kind of behavior pisses me off.

I responded with, “Get the F*#K away from me! Don’t ever think you can approach a woman like this again, you piece of sh*t! You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass … with heels on. Now shoo” (that’s my sanitized response, pretty sure I cursed a bit more).

His friend tried to block my way, I told him in my coldest voice to “Move” then, pushed him aside. They listened. They looked shocked, even a bit embarrassed.

My friend on the phone thought I was talking to him! I had to explain what happened – that was the funny part.

The reality is that certain guys get off on trying to intimidate women. They are sick. Hopefully, that guy learned his lesson and didn’t harass any other women that night.

– Megan

Location: Royal Street, New Orleans, LA

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

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One week to go until Anti-Street Harassment Day!

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Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team

March 20 is International Anti-Street Harassment Day. The stories submitted to my blog this week alone make it very clear week why we need it:

To participate on March 20, all you need to do is agree to share a story or talk about street harassment online or in person with a family member, friend, neighbor, classmate, colleague, or even a complete stranger! Let’s break the silence around this global problem.

  • Here are 10 ideas for action on March 20
  • If you’re on twitter, tweet about street harassment with either of these hashtags: #antistreetharassmentday and #march20
  • If you plan to submit an article for a local or campus newspaper, here are useful statistics to include. Visit the OpEdProject website for tips on writing an opinion editorial and to find the contact information and submission guidelines for more than 100 newspapers. Your stories, your opinions matter!
  • You can request a press release template from me that you can tailor for your local media to announce your Anti-Street Harassment Day involvement. Email stopstreetharassment AT yahoo DOT com.
    • Find inspiration for your activism:
    • Use graphics (in 6 languages, see below), fact sheets & fliers. Download, post & share them widely and/or adapt them to create your own.
    • RSVP on Facebook if you’ll participate and invite your friends to RSVP too.

    Confirmed events:

    • Ten events are listed on CrowdMap
    • Facebook event pages:

    Media coverage from the past week alone!

    I hope you will participate in this historic day and invite your friends and family to as well. Spring is no excuse for street harassment!!

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    Street harassment snapshot: March 13, 2011

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    Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past week and find relevant announcements and upcoming street harassment events.

    Street Harassment Stories:

    I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story!

    You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

    Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

    Events:

    • March 15: International Approaches to Stopping Street Harassment Talk, Georgia College, Museum Education Room, Milledgeville, GA, 5 p.m.
    • March 16: Street Harassment Workshop, Georgia College, Women’s Resource Center, Milledgeville, GA, 12:30 p.m.
    • March 19: Stop Street Harassment Talk, Old Parish House/Women’s Club
      4711 Knox Road, College Park, MD, 11 a.m.
    • March 19: HarassMap is organizing anti-street harassment activism in Cairo, Egypt!
    • March 20: International Anti-Street Harassment Day – happening all over the world!
    • March 22: HollaBack London meeting, 420 Kingsland Road, unknown time

    International Anti-Street Harassment Day:

    It’s only two weeks away! Participate in the first annual International Anti-Street Harassment Day on March 20!!!

    Announcements:

    New:

    On-going:

    10 Tweets from the Week:

    • HollabackEP Went for a lovely walk with my mom. Yeah, I still got harassed. Doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, or who you’re with. #StreetHarassment
    • bibliofeminista Street harassed on the streets of DC today by a man who yells: “Whoa, legs!” Me: “Yup, I have them.” #gross #streetharassment
    • TingyN #saynoto abuse and harassment in the street making people feel vulnerable in their every day lives
    • FeministInti Feminism isn’t a zero sum game, we can fight against street harassment, for abortion AND to end domestic violence and rape. It all counts.
    • Tweetsbian Creepy mullet dude gave me the turn-catcall-stare on a dark sidewalk. Think my ovaries have shriveled up a bit.
    • KimberlynnAce Nope…was wrong. street harassment is rampant as ever on international women’s day. All this tells me is that we gotta go to work. #iwd2011
    • Dina_T Is there some sort of sexual street harassment quota that Egyptian men are trying to achieve today? Kefaya!
    • equalitynow From FB: Passing some kind of legislation against street harassment. There is no equality while women feel unsafe. #100steps
    • SophiaAlMaria Make street-harassment a relic of pre-revolutionary #Egypt. Support http://www.harassmap.org/ on International Women’s Day.
    • disasterous007 If you ever walk alone to your car without thinking someone might attack you, this isn’t your day. #internationalwomensday
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    Victory: “Sexual harassment is a crime leave me alone or I will report you.”

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    After school yesterday I was walking to get on the Q train and some guy comes up to me and goes, “You got great legs baby!”

    Ok im 15 he was like 43. Gross. So I said, “Excuse me, you probably have a daughter older than me.”

    He goes, “Sorry you just look so sexy in that schoolgirl outfit I couldn’t help it and you do have great legs.”

    So then I said, “Sexual harassment is a crime leave me alone or I will report you…”

    He turned and walked the opposite direction in a very rapid fashion!

    I count that as a win for me because I hear things like that all the time and I finally stood up for my self and said something. I shouldn’t have to feel dirty because of some asshole!

    – Brittney

    Location: Church Street, New York City

    Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

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    Woman turns down job because of constant harassment in Jordan

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    The Middle East seems to be breeding grounds central for street harassment and Jordan was no exception. I speak not only for myself but for all expat women who have lived, or still live in the Middle East, when I say that street harassment there is a problem we face multiple times every day and it slowly wears you away, grinding away your confidence and sense of security.

    The harassment ranged from leering stares, cat calls, sexually explicit comments and sometimes grabbing and groping.
    Given the chance to go back to a higher paying, wonderful job, I turned it down, as no doubt countless others have as well, in large part because I was tired of being harassed day in and day out. It does not matter what women wear, they all still get harassed. Responding in any way only seemed to egg the guys on, rendering us (rather) powerless in terms of finding a solution to the problem.

    The slow erosion of self that many experience show the truly damaging effect street harassment of all levels can have.

    – Anonymous

    Location: Jordan

    Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

    Share