Cross-posted with permission from Teeny Titch
Hello Beautiful People,
This week is Anti Street Harassment week. I didn’t even know this was a thing, until I saw Leena from justkissmyfrog’s video about it earlier this week. That this is a thing makes me incredibly hopeful, because it is something that has bothered me since before I even understood what street harassment was. The fact that there is a week designated to raise awareness of it, makes me really hopeful that a change can be made.
Personally, I don’t think I know one female friend who has not been subject to street harassment, whether it be, catcalling, sexist remarks, or assault. I can’t remember a week when I haven’t been subject to some form of street harassment on my walk to or from uni. And it is harassment. One of the most worrying things about street harassment is the number of people who don’t realise that it is a form of harassment. It’s such a common occurrence, that it becomes trivialised and we view it as the norm.
I have become much more aware of it as a form of harassment in recent years, as I’ve become more aware of feminism in general, discovered the Everyday Sexism Project, and started to think about how street harassment has effect my attitude to being out and about.
In this post, I want to explain the purpose of Anti Street Harassment Week, what constitutes as street harassment, and generally try to start a discussion, so we can raise awareness of this form of harassment. Because it is harassment.
I’ll put a load of links at the end of this post so you can see where I got all my information from, find out some more for yourself, and have a look at Leena’s videos, because she is much more articulate on this subject than I am.
What is Anti Street Harassment Week?
It’s this week, March 30th – April 5th.
The purpose of the week is to raise awareness of street harassment and that it’s not acceptable. It’s an opportunity for activists to amplify their voices and draw the attention of mainstream media.
It’s held in April because it’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the USA and spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when there is an increase in harassment, because of the longer days and warmer weather. Harassment is often seen as inevitable part of a change in seasons and that shouldn’t be the case.
What is Street Harassment?
Sexual Harassment is defined as engaging in unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature with the purpose or effect of:
- Violating a person’s dignity
- Creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment
‘Of a sexual nature’ can refer verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct including:
- Comments about the way you look which you find demeaning
- Indecent remarks
- Questions about your sex life
- Sexual jokes
- Unwelcome sexual advance
- Inappropriate touching
- Forms of sexual assault
- Sexual demands by a member of your own or the opposite sex
Stop Street Harassment and Meet Us On The Streets list the following as acts of street harassment:
- Catcalls
- Sexually explicit comments
- Sexist remarks
- Groping
- Leering
- Stalking
- Public Masturbation
- Assault
Gender-based street harassment effects 80% of women worldwide as well as many men, especially in the LGBQT community, making them feel less safe and limiting people’s mobility and access to public spaces.
Calling people out on Street Harassment
Whilst I can’t help but feel that anybody who is compelled to shout catcalls and make sexist remarks is probably a complete arsehole, that sort of behaviour is part of the wider social issue of everyday sexism, which make that behaviour seem excusable or to have been meant as a compliment.
However, that behaviour is not excusable or complimentary; it’s degrading and perpetuates insecurity. However innocent or humorous somebody claims their remarks or actions were, if the person they were directed act is made to feel uncomfortable and demeaned, then it’s not a compliment is harassment. Those comment don’t make you King of Hilarious Banter, they make you a shitty person. Yes I’m looking at you creepy van man, stopping me in the street to make sexual comments.
I strongly feel that people should be called out on harassing behaviour and that it should be more acceptable to do so, without being accused of moaning about nothing, or not be able to take a joke.
BUT
Only call people out on their behaviour if you feel safe in doing so. Don’t ever endanger your safety just to get the moral high ground on somebody. If you feel safe in the situation and want call someone out, by all means go for it, it’s a good thing to do, but never put yourself in danger.
I also find it helps to talk to someone about street harassment whenever you experience it. It alleviates that feeling of suffering in silence, whilst also raising awareness of the commonality of these incidences.
Reporting Harassment
It’s also extremely important to important to report serious harassment. You can report harassment to:
The police: If harasser is threatening, touching or following you, flashing or masturbating at you, or persisting in more benign forms of harassment, you should report them to the police.
Transport Authority: If the harasser is at bus stop, train station etc. or on any form of public transport, report them to the appropriate transport authority. The British Transport Police recently launched Project Guardian which specifically focuses on reducing sexual assault and unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport.
Employers: If the harasser works for an identifiable company, contact the company and report the incident(s) to them.
What can you do now?
Increase your own awareness by making sure you understand want constitutes as harassment and being aware if when it’s happening to you or people around you.
Call people out on harassment, but ONLY if you feel safe it doing so *do not put yourself in danger*.
Report incidences of harassment to the relevant authorities.
TALK ABOUT IT! The main purpose of this week is to raise awareness. So talk about it people! Don’t allow it to be trivialised and brushed under the carpet.
I hope you’ve found this interesting and informative, and have been able to take something from it.
Normal service of me rambling about life will resume next week.
Love
S
xxx
