Archives for March 2013

By Sean Crosbie, SSH Correspondent

Last week, I attended an event called “Speak Out with Street Art” that was held at the offices of the Women’s Information Network in Washington, D.C.  This event was a collaboration among Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), the Women’s Information Network (WIN), and Women, Action, and the Media (WAM!), as part of “WAM! It Yourself 2013,” a series of events being held in cities around the U.S. and Canada. These gatherings bring together local activists and others who are interested in advancing social justice and women’s representation in the media.

The purpose of “Speak Out with Street Art” was twofold: to explain CASS’s role in using “artivism” to empower Washingtonians to stand up to sexual harassment and assault, and to work with Graham, a D.C.-based artist, whose anti-harassment art is found around the city.

The evening started with an introduction by CASS’s Director of Community Outreach and Events, Zosia   Sztykowski, who applauded the efforts of local community organizations to bring attention to the issues of violence and harassment through art.  In addition to local efforts, Zosia showed the audience anti-harassment art from around the world, including one from the Egyptian Revolution showing Nefertiti in a gas mask.

Following this broad overview, Zosia turned the focus to Graham, a local artist who works in collaboration with CASS through the D.C. Artist Collective. A D.C.-area native, he has worked with numerous clients to create art that advances social causes.  Graham explained how one of the main functions of street art is to reclaim public space for the people, and not allow public areas to be auctioned off to the highest bidder (i.e. hotels, billboards, etc.). This philosophy has informed Graham’s work to a remarkable degree.

His work had an effect on me – the artwork definitely caught my attention when I saw it on the streets. I was instantly engaged and intrigued when I saw two of Graham’s artworks on the street in D.C., and I contacted Holly inquiring about the artist, and she let me know about this event.

After the presentation, the audience dispersed and separated into two groups:  one group joined Graham in wheatpasting a local D.C. neighborhood, and another joined Zosia at the office for a creative storytelling workshop, in which people shared their experiences about harassment. This was a great way to get people involved in “artivism,” and also to share their experiences in a supportive, open environment.

Street art is a great way to create an in-your-face message to combat street harassment and assault. Since both occur in public spaces, it is only fitting that the art be located in the same space, preferably on or near a site of harassment. This sends a message to the harassers that acts of disrespect and violence against women will not be tolerated—local activists will speak out!  The work of CASS and Graham are just some of the many efforts by local activists to send this message and to make a difference. Stop Street Harassment appreciates these conversations taking place and hopes for more in the future.

Sean has written for Stop Street Harassment since April 2011.  He is a library/research assistant at a labor union in Washington, D.C. and holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from American University.

[Editor’s note, I attended the workshop too, here are my photos.]

By: Adriana Pérez-Rodríguez, SSH Correspondent

“Street harassment has become dangerously normal.” –Paola Adarve (one of the main organisers of One Billion Rising in Bogotá)

Within the framework of the International Anti-Street Harassment Week and One Billion Rising- Bogotá, I interviewed the organisers of the One Billion Rising event about street harassment Colombian women face daily and why this must change.

1. Adriana Pérez-Rodríguez (APR): Why One Billion Rising? How can it contribute towards the Colombian case?

One Billion Rising – Bogotá Organizers (OBR): One Billion Rising is a global action within the framework of V Day against violence against women, which includes verbal, psychological, physical, domestic and sexual violence in or outside of the context of the internal armed conflict. The Colombian context is meaningful if we take into account the cases of Rosa Elvira Cely, Angélica Bello, Yinnet Bedoya and many other women whose cases didn’t have such impact on the media. In Colombian, we need to rise to this situation and make people understand that such treatment is not right and that women can encounter violence within their houses, around the corner, in public transport, etc.

2. APR: Many people argue that we should not pay attention to these situations (street harassment), that it’s not highly relevant. What do you think about it? What could you say to these people?

(OBR): Street Harassment doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Failing to pay attention obeys a patriarchal culture that defines women as sexual objects and men as predators whose sexual appetite is uncontrollable –thus justifiable. Manifestations such as V-Day try to create conscience against it, stressing that ignoring street harassment, seeing it as irrelevant, will lead to ignoring everyday types of violence that women endure, normalising them.

 3. APR: What’s the best way to fight street harassment?

(OBR): The best way is uniting against: educating children in schools, organising women’s groups in local areas –for instance, groups such as ours which is organised in public spaces, attracting people’s attention in order to get heard. The most important part is not keeping quiet about or considering irrelevant any type of violence against women, recognising that we have the right to live a worthy, free from violence, life in our own houses and in the streets.

4. APR: When did you realise such behaviour needed to be changed? Why?

(OBR): It’s something that has grown with me. Colombia is a catholic and highly conservative country. Many of our mothers had to quit their job when they had their first child to take care of their houses. Many changed their last names, adopting their husband’s one and many were obliged to marry after falling pregnant before marriage. When we go out we’ve been shouted stuff at, we have witnessed horrible things been shouted at other women, while they just opt to walk faster most of the times and keep quiet. The change starts by the person who notices it, by whom shares its discomfort and tries to create conscience within their closest ones so that they spread it.

5. APR: Where do you think this behaviour (street harassment) stems from?

(OBR): From the sociocultural context that normalises notions about women and femininities like something sexualised, submissive and vulnerable. Moreover, what we see in public spaces also happens in private ones, a man who abuses his partner and feels he has power over her, is probably a man who will verbally harass women in the streets and who will probably consider that their role is to satisfy his needs. From little boys being taught that they must be “macho-like”, that only girls play with dolls and that if he doesn’t like sports he’s a “faggot”, a heterosexist and patriarchal pattern will be recreated and reproduced.

6. APR: Which are the biggest obstacles when educating people about this issue? Have you seen any changes in the social perception?

(OBR): The way boys and men are educated to treat women and the way girls and women are educated to put up with it and remain quiet. I do feel perception regarding this issue has changed a little thanks to collective actions and pressures from many sectors and women’s groups in both, urban and rural spaces. The 1257 law and the 094 decree are examples of normative and legal changes, which serve as tools to communicate to people, explain they have rights and that such behaviour should not be considered normal.

7. APR: How can the masculine public contribute towards this fight?

(OBR): This isn’t just a women’s fight. We have risen up because we are at the axis of violence, but the responsibility lies in everyone. Men, regardless their sexual identity, must be conscientious and help others do become so. The world is and must be for everyone. Women are not satisfaction machines, we are people, active citizens and we decide for ourselves.

8. APR: What would you recommend in case of street harassment?

(OBR): Do as you think best, knowing that street harassment IS NOT NORMAL. When people learn they shouldn’t put up with it, their way of acting starts changing. What I recommend is don’t to keep quiet, don’t put up with it because it’s not our obligation to do so. Our right is to feel safe in and outside our homes, to dress as we please, to go out with whomever we want to at the hours we want to and no men can steal that right from us.

Adriana is a Colombian national who’s passionate about all topics concerning social justice, especially gender-based justice.

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En Espanol

acoso sexual callejero se ha vuelto peligrosamente normal –Paola Adarve (una de las principal organizadoras de Un Billón de Pie en Bogotá)

Dentro del marco de Encuéntranos en las Calles, que va del 7 al 13 de abril, y hablando sobre Un Billón de Pie, las organizadoras de este evento conversan sobre el acoso sexual callejero que las mujeres colombianas tienen que enfrentar cotidianamente y porqué esto debe cambiar.

1. Adriana Pérez-Rodríguez (APR): ¿Por qué Un Billón de Pie? ¿Qué aportes podría dar al contexto colombiano?

Un Billón de Pie: Un Billón de Pie es una acción mundial en el marco del día V (V-day), en contra de la violencia hacia las mujeres, esto incluye violencia verbal, psicológica, física, doméstica, y sexual ya sea en el conflicto armado o fuera de él.  El contexto colombiano es significativo para esta campaña, si tenemos en cuenta los casos de Rosa Elvira Cely, Angélica Bello, Yinnet Bedoya, y de tantas otras mujeres que han sido ultrajadas sin que sus casos tengan resonancia mediática. En Colombia es necesario levantarse y hacer entender que no está bien la forma en que las mujeres son tratadas, que la violencia se encuentra en casa, a la esquina, en el transporte público, etc. Y debe ser detenida.

 2. APR: Mucha gente objeta que no hay que prestarle atención a esas situaciones (acoso sexual callejero), que no es de mayor importancia; ¿Qué piensa de esto? ¿Qué le podría decir a esas personas?

Un Billón de Pie: La violencia callejera no es aislada. No darle importancia a esto obedece a una cultura machista que concibe a las mujeres como objeto sexual y a los hombres como depredadores cuyo apetito sexual es incontrolable- y así excusable. Manifestaciones como V-Day buscan crear consciencia frente a esto, teniendo en cuenta que ignorar el acoso sexual callejero, pensar que no tiene importancia, es ignorar violencias cotidianas a las que son sometidas las mujeres de tal manera que se normalizan.

 3. APR: ¿Cuál creen que es la mejor manera para combatir el acoso sexual callejero? (Formación de colectivos, educación, fortalecimiento de conciencia colectiva, etc.)

Un Billón de Pie: La mejor manera es unirse: mediante la educación de los niños pequeños en colegios y escuelas, la organización de mujeres en los barrios, grupos como el nuestro que se organiza en espacios públicos llamando la atención de la gente para que escuchen nuestra causa, etc. Lo importante es que nosotras mismas no nos callemos ni le quitemos importancia a ningún tipo de violencia, es que nosotras mismas reconoscamos que tenemos el derecho a vivir una vida digna y libre de violencias, en casa o fuera de ella.

4. APR: ¿En qué momento se percató que ese comportamiento necesita cambiarse? ¿Por qué?

Un Billón de Pie: Es algo que ha crecido conmigo. Colombia es un país retrógado, católico y todavía muy conservador. Las madres de muchas de nosotras dejaron sus trabajos apenas tuvieron su primera hija o hijo, y se dedicaron al cuidado de la casa. Muchas se cambiaron el apellido al de su marido, muchas hasta se casaron obligadas al quedar embarazadas antes del matrimonio. Al salir a la calle nos han gritado cosas, hemos visto cómo les gritan frases horribles y morbosas a otras chicas, y ellas optan casi siempre por caminar más rapido y no decir nada. El cambio empieza por quien lo nota, por quien comparte su incomodidad y trata de crear consciencia en su grupo más cercano para que la inconformidad se riegue cada vez más.

 5. APR: ¿De dónde cree que se origina ese acoso?

Un Billón de Pie: En el contexto sociocultural, el cual normatiza algunas nociones sobre las mujeres y sobre lo feminino como algo sexualizado, sumiso, vulnerable; lo que sucede en el espacio público sucede también en el espacio privado, un hombre que abusa de su compañera en casa, que siente que tiene poder sobre ella, es muy probablemente un hombre que acosa verbalmente a las mujeres en la calle y que considera que el papel de las mujeres es satisfacer sus necesidades. Desde que a los niños se les enseña que está bien actuar “como machos”, que jugar con muñecas es de niñas, y que si no le gustan los deportes es un marica, se está forjando y dando continuidad a un patrón heterosexista y machista.

 6. APR: ¿Cuáles son los obstáculos más grandes a la hora de educar a las personas sobre el tema? ¿Han visto cambios en la percepción social?

Un Billón de Pie: La forma en que se les enseña a los niños, jóvenes y adultos hombres a tratar a las mujeres, y la forma en que se les enseña a las niñas, jóvenes y adultas a soportar y quedarse calladas frente a esto. Sí siento que ha cambiado un poco la percepción, gracias a acciones masivas y presiones de varios sectores y grupos de mujeres tanto en la ciudad como en las zonas rurales. La Ley 1257 y el Auto 094 son ejemplos en cuanto a normas y legislación. Estas son herramientas para que nosotras le hablemos a la gente, les hagamos escuchar que tenemos derechos, que soportar no es “lo normal”.

7. APR: ¿Cómo puede contribuir el público masculino en esta lucha?

Un Billón de Pie: Esta no es una lucha de sólo mujeres. Nosotras nos levántamos porque hemos sido el eje de las violencias, pero la responsabilidad recae en todas las personas. Los hombres, de cualquier identidad sexual, deben conscientizarse y conscientizar a los demás. Esta es una lucha conjunta, porque el mundo es y debe ser de todas y todos. Los hombres deben reconocer que no somos máquinas de satisfacción, que todas somos personas, ciudadanas activas, y decidimos por nuestras vidas.

8. APR: Ante una situación de acoso sexual callejero ¿qué recomendarían?

Un Billón de Pie: Hacer lo que le parezca conveniente, teniendo en cuenta que el acoso sexual callejero NO ES NORMAL. Cuando una persona comprende que el acoso sexual callejero no debe soportarlo, su forma de actuar cambia. No callarse es lo que recomiendo. No aguantar, porque no es nuestra obligación aguantar. Es nuestro derecho sentirnos seguras en las calles y en las casas, es nuestro derecho vestirnos como queramos, salir con quién queramos, a la hora que queramos. Y ningún hombre puede arrebatarnos este derecho.

Soy una colombiana apasionada por todos asuntos relacionados con la justicia social, especialmente justicia de género.