I should start this by saying my name is Saba, I am from Western Canada and a member of Black Feminist UK. It was when I moved from my tiny city to London that I was really introduced to the concept of Street Harassment.
In the area I was living in, I was catcalled and followed on almost a daily basis. I felt fear and annoyance almost daily basis on my way home from the tube stop to my flat. I was made to feel uncomfortable and threatened for walking out my door, because it was simply “what happens when you live in a big city”.
What made me the most upset was sounds men would make when I walked past, they wouldn’t want to engage me at all, they would just put me in my place.
We all know that Street Harassment is gendered, the type of harassment that men would receive is different from what women receive on the street. At the same time race is also a major part of street harassment. For example; stops and searches in London are a huge issue with young Black Men; and Street Harassment of Black women is different from those of other women. When we discuss anything to do with race and gender we have to explore the importance of how both overlap and in turn the importance of intersectionality.
I am a huge supporter of this whole movement because I believe that I should be able to walk down the street and feel safe. We need to be discussing all the things that need to change in order for that to happen.
