Suzanne Rothman writes about street harassment in Azerbaijan for Eurasianet Commentary. Excerpt:
“On paper, Azerbajani women enjoy full legal equality with men. Section II of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan states that “men and women possess equal rights and liberties.” In addition, Azerbaijan signed in 1995 the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It’s also true that in some professions, Azerbaijani women have been able to build careers.
But on the streets of Baku, in everyday situations outside the workplace, it’s still clearly a man’s world. I have lived in Baku since September 2013, working as a teacher of English, and I witness on a regular basis men accosting women in a host of degrading manners. My impressions about harassment are buttressed by the stories I hear from my Azerbaijani female friends and acquaintances. The most dehumanizing one my local friends and I have experienced so far is the literal catcall. Men will beckon women with the same set of tongue clicks used to attract the attention of cats. Men here also can be very direct, often inviting women, who are total strangers, into their cars.
Constant street harassment creates an atmosphere of intimidation. Men do not restrain themselves to making comments and sounds, but often follow women around after being ignored. Not too long ago, I walked away from an older man who tried to speak to me, and instead of leaving me alone after his advances were flatly rejected, he followed me down the street until I walked into a shop. This all happened in broad daylight, and it happens a lot according to my Azeri female friends who regularly endure similar experiences.
The problems for women intensify after sundown. A woman walking outside alone at night is often perceived to be a prostitute, regardless of what area she is in, what she is wearing, or her demeanor. Men in vehicles are apt to bluntly approach women and offer them money for sexual services. My friends and I walked in the opposite direction after receiving such a proposal, only to realize the driver backed up in the street to follow us. Such predatory behavior is typical. A local colleague relayed that after returning home late one night a man followed her to her building, asking “how much?”
This pattern of male behavior creates an environment that compels women to stay at home after dusk. Though legally they are free to do as they please, women choose to remain housebound due to the harassment they know they will endure by going out.”
This is not okay.
The good news? Last year, Jake Winn, a Peace Corps volunteer and a youth development facilitator in northern Azerbaijan, worked with male students who made an Anti-Street Harassment video. The title, “Ay Gardash! Kishi Ol!”, can be translated to, ‘Hey man, be a gentleman!” They are distributing the video throughout the country, along with a lesson plan and discussion questions for other volunteers to use with their own students: Street Harassment Lesson Plan (English) | Street Harassment Lesson Plan (Azerbaijani)
