Archives for November 2012

Driving with the windows down, I pulled up beside a pickup truck at a stop light. The two men inside the truck began whistling at me and laughing. I turned off my radio, turned to them and said, “You know, it’s really offensive when men whistle at a woman like she’s an animal. I don’t appreciate that. What you’re doing is called street harassment and it is unacceptable.”

The driver said, “I’m sorry ma’am. I’ll stop tonight.”

In my experience, his response was very atypical yet awesome! Usually when I talk back to street harassers they’re either shocked into silence or tell me to f*ck off. It never discourages me from speaking my mind, though. I have become fiercely protective of my sense of physical and emotional security, so when a stranger gets in my emotional or physical space I fight back with words.

I have dozens of stories like this. Stories of men commenting on my body parts while I’m jogging. Stories of men making sexual comments to me simply because I was there and a woman. A story about a man who started unzipping his pants while walking toward me outside the library one afternoon. Men who’ve grabbed my butt on crowded streets and subways. On and on and on. I used to be to afraid to say anything, but not anymore.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

Street harassment can occur very quickly and instantly makes me feel fearful and angry, so it helps to be prepared to respond. I’ve found it helpful to practice certain phrases (“I am a human being, not an object for your pleasure”, “My body is none of your business”, “What you’re doing is called street harassment and it is unacceptable”, etc…), that way I’m more likely to speak up and respond to someone who is harassing me.

I also discuss street harassment with my male friends and try to educate them on what women experience on a daily basis, asking them to become allies.

– Emily Harris

Location: Sarasota, FL

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.

I was traveling on a Liverpool Train heading back to university after a weekend back home, so I was a little nervous traveling on my own as I had my laptop bag and fear theft.

At one stop a group of men in their mid-20s (who’d obviously been drinking and had a night of festivities) got on and decided to sit in my seat section and talk to me. I feared that they would harass me but after some stern words from me they apologised and we actually had a nice conversation.

At the next stop, instead of leaving the station one of the workers stepped into my carriage and asked if I wanted them to leave. It turned out another passenger had seen the interaction and had reported them.

This gives me hope as often people ignore harassment happening around them, but this unknown passenger – instead of just leaving and forgetting about me – chose to protect me. So even though I had distilled the situation it still meant a lot that people were willing to step in.

And by seeing that people around judged their behaviour as inappropriate and possibly dangerous, the men apoligised again, and hopefully learnt a lesson about approaching young women on their own.

– Gina-ofthenorth

Location: Liverpool, UK