By age 12, nearly 1 in 4 girls experience unwanted 
sexual comments, leers, touches, and stalking in public places by strangers. Nearly 90% of women have that experience by age 19.
Street harassment teaches girls that public places are male territory and they are prey to male predators of all ages. The harassment restricts their access to public places and impedes gender equality. Street harassment also disproportionately and negatively impacts LGBQT individuals.
Is this what we want for the next generation?
It’s not what I nor my team of volunteers want for them. Nor do the 50 (and growing) organizations and groups that are co-sponsoring International Anti-Street Harassment Week.
If you want to help us create a better future, meet us on the street, add your voice to ours, speak out, and participate in the week of collective action against street harassment, March 18-24, 2012.
How Can I Get Involved?
No matter where you are or your age, you can participate.
1. Decide what you want to do that week (6 ideas)
2. Sign-up and also PLEASE register any offline action you organize, if applicable (so others can find the info)
3. Join the Facebook page to receive updates
4. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, classmates, and coworkers to participate, too
It really is easy to participate…you can agree to talk about street harassment that week, and/or change your Facebook profile photo to the image on the right, and/or tweet about street harassment with #NoSHWeek.
If you can dedicate more time and energy, there are several ideas and guides for participation on the website. Read through them to find examples and suggestions, including writing an article, creating an art project, organizing an event, organizing a mapping project, or posting fliers or sidewalk chalk messages around your community.
But really, any idea you have is one you are welcome to pursue! Just please be sure to sign-up to help us track all the activism.
Become a Participating Co-Sponsoring Organization:
Contact MeetUsOnTheStreet AT gmail DOT com if your group or organization plans to participate and would like to be listed as a co-sponsoring organization.
Special Resources:
1. LOGOS: There are logos in 12 languages you can post on your site or use in your promotional materials
2. FLIERS: There are 2 down-loadable fliers you can use to pass out or post in your community (versions in more languages coming soon)
3. FILM + DISCUSSION GUIDE: Do you work with high school or college-age youth? Request a free DVD copy of the award-winning four-minute film “Walking Home” as well as a Discussion Guide, created by the filmmaker Nuala Cabral. Use both to generate a conversation about the issue. Ask attendees to create their own 1 minute video about their vision of a safe community and upload it to our YouTube Channel. Send requests to Lauren Domino, lauren AT artsengine DOT net
4. OP-ED WRITING RESOURCES: Do you want to write an article or op-ed on street harassment? Participate in a free conference call about op-ed writing on Wednesday, January 25, 8:15 p.m. EST with journalist Elizabeth Mendez Berry (whose 2010 op-ed partially led to the first-ever city council hearing on street harassment in New York City) and me, founder of Stop Street Harassment and author of several op-eds on street harassment. RSVP to MeetUsOnTheStreet AT Gmail DOT com by Jan. 24 to receive the phone number.
Also, co-sponsoring organization The Op-Ed Project will give a 10% discount to Anti-Street Harassment Week participants, to attend their day-long Core Seminar (see the calendar) and for every 5 Anti-Street Harassment Week participants who register before March 18, one person can receive a scholarship to attend a day-long Core Seminar (see the calendar).
5. PRESS RELEASE: In February, look for sample press releases you can use.
Questions?
