I live in Barbados and street harassment is a serious problem there. I have witnessed men blatantly calling women out their names and imposing their unwanted attention onto them. Leaving home one has to garner oneself in preparation for the onslaught of rude comments and suggestions that are sure to come. Verbal and physical harassment are so interwoven into the fabric of our culture that it has become accepted as the norm. So accepted that a song called “Meat gotta pull” actually got air play on the radios here.
There is a common expression in Barbados that Bajan women are unmannerly and difficult to approach but no exploration of how this came to be the case. I’ll be generous and say that at least half of your daily encounters with men here will end with some inappropriate and unwanted comment. So is it any wonder that females are apprehensive when males approach them?
The worst part is that I believe some of them think they’re flattering you.
Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?
I believe more people need to get involved when they witness street harassment taking place and be the keepers of our brothers and sisters. Men are the perpetrators in many cases but they are also the victims.
– Anonymous
Location: Barbados
