Archives for September 2015

USA: NO, girls, don’t loiter on the streets! Gendered access to public spaces in India

September 25, 2015 By Correspondent

Meghna Bhat, Chicago, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

As I got into the car last week, my husband told me a segment on women’s rights in India that was going to start on NPR radio. As I tuned in, the correspondent spoke about how a group of young women in Mumbai started cultivating a movement called Why Loiter?

These young women believe that we (as women) should be able to hang out with friends or be alone in public spaces, just because we want to and feel like. We don’t need to give a possible reason to anyone! Women are often excluded from claiming public spaces in India on the pretext of keeping them safe. They are warned not to ‘loiter’ or ‘hang out’ in public spaces and if they are, a man or family should accompany them.

That’s when I remembered how many times I was told the same thing during my school and college days and when I worked at different places. “Don’t go out or stay late in the dark,” “That road is very deserted so take the alternate road where it’s brighter”, “Don’t loiter around- wait closer to a bus-stop so it looks like you are waiting for a bus”, “Talk to a friend on your cell phone if there’s a potential pervert walking around so he doesn’t approach you”, “Wear appropriate clothes if you are going out at this time”, “Avoid standing alone or with your girlfriends at this paan-shop (tobacco shop) or dhaaba (street diner)…people shouldn’t misunderstand you” and “don’t take the late night train home on this route as there are barely any commuters, so take the bus”. “Hanging out or loitering in public spaces just for fun, absolutely NOT!”

Did years of blindly and sincerely following these warnings and messages make us less exposed to sexual harassment — or what India calls ‘eve-teasing’? Did these measures lessen our experiences of being catcalled, groped or pinched, or being sexually assaulted and attacked by some men? The answer is NO.

I wonder how much time, mental stamina and efforts I and many other women have sub-consciously and unintentionally invested in avoiding being a target of harassment or unwanted unpleasant attention. Examples of changes include planning my daily schedule, deciding what public transport to take, figuring out what time to leave and return home, and what clothes to wear depending on what time of the day and which neighborhood. There is an underlying implication that we are likely to be at risk for sexual harassment or assault if we wander outside our homes and we need to stop loitering out in public spaces to keep ourselves safe.

My parents never necessarily gave this advice to us (my younger sister and me) but these were the very obvious strong messages that we as Indian girls and women have been conditioned to hear from our society and popular culture such as films and TV serials. Don’t get me wrong- the advice is well intentioned from a parents’ perspective and it is overall good to take precautions, but these messages are mostly pelted to girls than boys. What messages are we giving to our young girls and boys? Who are likely to be ‘victims’? In India, the gender-biased advice, policing and curfew for the safety of girls and women is likely to stem from deeply embedded cultural norms and practices of raising daughters in the past.

The Why Loiter? movement was drawn from the book written by Shilpa Phadke, Sameera Khan and Shilpa Ranade (2011). This powerful book, based on the research between 2003 and 2006 in the City of Mumbai, highlights how the 21^st century Indian society deals with women’s safety. The authors argue how women from different castes, social classes, neighborhoods and communities in Mumbai have been excluded from many public avenues and additionally, have to plan and negotiate their lifestyle, daily schedule, transport and work to prevent from being at risk everyday. Grounded in feminist perspectives, the authors further suggests that “loitering should be celebrated, not reviled, as an act that offers possibilities for a more inclusive city where all people have a right to city public spaces.”

Even though I have been living away from my hometown for the past 11 years, I wish I had come across a similar movement that encouraged young girls and women in Mumbai to claim public spaces without negotiating, hangout with girl friends just for fun, take a nap in the park, to chit chat until late night, and to enjoy food at street diners. So, after I read the book Why Loiter? in 2013, I started researching if there were similar social movements. One particular fascinating example that I came across is the #GirlsAtDhabas that young girls and women in Karachi, Pakistan, are promoting. I say, more power to these girls and women!

By focusing on young girls and women’s rights in India, this blog does not intend to trivialize the daily sexual harassment and structural violence our transgender and LGBTQI friends in our cities encounter in these same public spaces. Is it not possible to share these public spaces for everyone to hang out, loiter or just enjoy a late night ice cream at the neighborhood stall, without being stared at, questioned, judged, or harassed and policed?

Meghna is a doctoral candidate in the Criminology, Law, and Justice program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a specialization in Gender and Women Studies. She is currently working on her dissertation, which focuses on representations of violence against women in a widely viewed form of Indian popular culture, Bollywood cinema.

Stop Global Street Harassment Book Release Event!

September 24, 2015 By HKearl

Last week the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at American University in Washington, DC, kindly hosted my book release event. I am so grateful to them (especially staff member Kerry Diekmann), to everyone who came, to my co-presenters (who are all featured in the book), and to local groups Defend Yourself and the Queer Review for tabling/supporting. After our presentations, we had a rich Q&A, discussing the issue with attendees who hailed from countries like Afghanistan and Belgium. And my mom even flew in from out of state to be there as a surprise!

(Holly and Sawsan (back) | Patrick, Noorjahan, and Lauren (front))

In my presentation, I gave an overview of the topic and why it matters. I noted that, “When I wrote my master’s thesis on street harassment in 2007 at GWU and started the Stop Street Harassment blog in 2008, I was one of the few visible and public voices speaking out on this issue. I am so thrilled that just a few years later, there are hundreds of people taking a stand.

My new book focuses on many of those people and what they have done over the past five years to work to help end the normalization of sexual harassment in public spaces globally.”

And then I gave examples of some of the changes we’ve seen in the past five years, like more research on the topic, international entities like UN Women and Huairou Commission overseeing international efforts, more individuals using the Internet to launch awareness campaigns, several viral documentaries, concrete changes wrought by advocacy groups like Paremos el acoso callejero in Peru, and an increase in actions individuals have taken, like writing sidewalk chalk messages, distributing cards against harassment and working with youth.

ssh blog — *Noorjahan speaking during Q&A. SSH board members Holly, Patrick and Maureen. Defend Yourself founder Lauren Taylor.*

I talked about how it is an exciting time because so many people are refusing to be silent and are making more and more people aware of what street harassment is and why it is unacceptable. You can read all about these efforts and much more in my new book, Stop Global Street Harassment: Growing Activism Around the World (Praeger, 2015). (20% off for the ebook) See upcoming book events.

I took iPhone videos of my co-presenters and they gave me permission to share their words below. (Transcripts to come.) They are amazing and I’m so honored to have their words in my book and to have had them join me at AU!

USA: Keep Running Outside

September 24, 2015 By Correspondent

Chelsea Cloud, Michigan, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

Every day that I suit up for running I am mentally preparing myself for what I am going to encounter out on the streets. No, I’m not worried about my route or the looming danger of shin splints. I am concerned about what street harassment I am going to face. As a solo runner, I often ask myself, “How am I going to respond?” or, “What if it turns physical?” Over the past year I have added pepper spray to the plethora of accessories I wear during a jog, just in case. Thankfully, it’s only served as a safety blanket, but how do I protect myself mentally and emotionally from the attacks that come in the form of honking, yelling and sexually explicit comments? I started running three years ago in response to major life changes. I quickly realized that running made me feel alive and in control of my life. I felt strong. Resilient.

Then I moved to a slightly more urban locale and began running in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. The harassment amped up considerably. My internal responses range from disgust to rage. On a good day, I am fueled by the harassers. I go faster, farther even. If the main source of street harassment comes from the harassers need to dominate and take the power away from women, than I will show them how powerful I can be. But on the bad days, I feel defeated. By the third honk or heckle I am ready to burst into flames from anger. I’m left wondering how other women do it. Especially women in a considerably larger city, with packed streets and sidewalks. There are horror stories all over the internet and in message boards about the harassment that is subjected upon runners in large cities. I am reminded of an article that went viral earlier this year by Katie Prout for The Toast.com in which she describes her worst experience with street harassment while running in Chicago, when a group of pre-teen boys threw debris at her head while telling her to suck their dicks.

Running in the city, Chinatown, San Francisco — Image via Flickr

So what advice are runners being given to combat street harassment? Women who run solo are often told to run in groups. But what if they don’t like to run in groups? And why should a runner have to change their routine? Victims of street harassment are often naively asked, “What were you wearing?” and the same goes for female runners. Personally, I’ve been harassed in the dead of winter, completely bundled up with a mask covering most of my face. The tumblr page But What Was She Wearing? is a place where women are submitting their actual outfits that they were wearing when they were catcalled. It’s become glaringly obvious that choice of outfit does not make or break whether or not you are harassed. I’ve read blog posts by women and members of the LGBT community that don’t want to wear bright colors for fear of harassment. Runners are told to wear bright colors so drivers can see them, but many may be opting to wear drab colors so they don’t stick out to potential harassers.

Women may also be choosing to run more trails to get off the streets, but this comes with another set of dangers. Just last month, a young woman in my community was dragged off of the Bicentennial Trail in Portage, Michigan and into the woods by a male attacker. Thankfully, she escaped and got help (runners are a tough bunch). This incidence just adds to the growing list of worries that come with the decision to run outdoors.

There is also much debate over HOW to respond to catcalls. If you read the comment section in most articles about street harassment you will see that there are many conflicting views on not only how to respond, but how we should feel about being harassed. I am shocked when people say, “Just ignore it”, “It’s just life” and “You’re too sensitive.” While I can physically ignore verbal harassment, and usually do, I cannot forget the man who pulls over to honk at me or the young boy who comments on my body as I run past him. These little everyday harassment incidents are insidious. We cannot ignore the fact that we are being treated like public property.

So what is a runner to do?

Remind your friends and family that you are dealing with harassment on your runs and you need some support and solidarity. Download a safety app, or buy a TigerLady. But maybe most importantly, keep running outside. You are in control of your own run and every time that you lace up your shoes you’re running with countless others that won’t let street harassment put them on a treadmill.

Chelsea is a full-time sales assistant for an advertising company in West Michigan and a part-time Graphic Design student. She is proud to call herself a feminist and feels passionately about speaking up for women’s rights. You can find her on twitter @LitSmitten.

Late September News Round-Up

September 24, 2015 By HKearl

Here are the stories I’ve been reading the past two weeks!

Activismo sin violencia, “An anti-street harassment group confronts an epidemic in Egypt”

“As Safe As Before” is a new anti-harassment campaign in Alexandria, Egypt. “Volunteers are split up based on gender, with the men dispersed to spot potential cases of harassment, and the women distributing information to girls and families about victims’ rights and encouraging them to report any case of assault to the police.”

PRI, “Indian Women Talk about Street Harassment”

“Nirali Shah, Ishani Dasgupta, Kaneez Surka, Ahvanya Sharma, RJ Malishka and Lipi Mehta have all been the subject of unwanted advances by strangers in public — and on more than one occasion, victims of sexual abuse.

The women recall uncomfortable and confusing instances of harassment from when they were as young as 10.”

The Guardian, “How the hijab has made sexual harassment worse in Iran”

“Sexual harassment is not flirting. It’s more like hunting, with the whole city becoming a giant hunting ground. For women, walking in the street can become an excruciating, fearful experience…

The hunting happens everywhere in broad daylight, with the tacit approval of all – including the very authorities supposed to protect women. There is no risk in this hunt.

The feeling of incapacitation and helplessness for women is overwhelming. “It gives you a feeling of powerlessness because it seems that, since they aren’t physically attacking you, you don’t have a right to do anything to them,” says Lucille.

The irony of a system that goes to great lengths to “protect women’s bodies” is that while harassers are acting freely, stalking and groping under the eyes of all, the moral police is arresting women for “bad hijab”, skimpy manteaus or tight leggings.”

The Fader, “Empress Of’s “Kitty Kat” Is The Reponse To Street Harassment That Pop Needed”

“I remember a stranger saying something nasty to me on the street while walking home,” Rodriguez explains recently in an interview with Yours Truly. “I was so mad but I couldn’t say anything back at that moment. What would be the point? When I got back I started to work on this aggressive sound on a track. As soon as I turned the mic on to record, I started to sing what I wanted to say to that guy on the street, but now I get to sing it every night in front of a crowd.”

Everyday Feminism, “8 Reasons Why the Policing of Parents Who Nurse in Public Is Street Harassment”

“Street harassment ‬ can also cause those of us who experience it to avoid certain places, or to feel shame or self-blame after we’re harassed. We may question why we were walking in a certain location or why we wearing a particular outfit, looking for ways to blame ourselves for our harassment.

People who are harassed for nursing in public experience similar things. They may stop going out in public, and, in some cases, it may even cut a parent’s nursing relationship with their child short, as nursing in public becomes too challenging for them and they can’t keep their supply up.

Or they may engage in self-blame for the harassment, thinking that they should have used a cover or gone out to their car to avoid being seen.

All of these consequences are a big deal – they have a damaging effect on the people experiencing them and affect people’s mental health, emotional well-being, and physical safety.”

Clutch, “Watch Serena Williams Flawlessly Shut Down Reporter Who Asked Why She Wasn’t Smiling”

“After Tuesday’s emotional match at the U.S. Open where Williams defeated her sister in three sets, reporters only wanted to ask about one thing–how it felt to play Venus.

After being asked the question multiple times, Queen Serena was rightly irritated, but when a reporter asked her why she wasn’t smiling during the press conference after her win she kept it all the way real.

To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t want to be here,” Williams said.”

The Express Tribune (Pakistan), “Dealing with harassment: Just a compliment?”

“We should train our sons to be respectful to women and our daughters to be confident enough to report a disrespectful man. But most importantly, we should tell men that women shouldn’t only be respected because they are some ones daughter, sister or mother but because of the fact that they are fellow human beings, worthy of it.”

Independent Northeast Illinois University, “The Power of Art: A Mural Says What I Could Not”

“A controversial new mural went up in downtown Chicago earlier this month. It tells viewers: “Stop telling women to smile.”

Brooklyn-based artist, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, created the piece to address street harassment of women. As soon as I saw her latest work, displayed near Columbia College Chicago on 8th and Wabash, I was ecstatic…

During first week of school, I was feeling a little stressed, so I walked around campus. As I walked down the street, I started trying to think of something happy to brighten my mood.

Naturally, I began to smile. No sooner did that happen did I hear a guy say, “That smile is for me, right?” I just kind of rolled my eyes and kept walking. Then, I got angry. I wanted to say, “No, my smile is not for you. My smile is for me.” I couldn’t say that though. There are a lot of reasons why, namely that I wanted to avoid confrontation and the best way for me to do that was to keep walking.

The most unfortunate part of these types of situations is they take something beautiful — a smile — and turn it into something dangerous, something to be ashamed of, something that gets patrolled. What I do or don’t do is no one else’s business. That should be respected.

So thank you, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, for publicly saying what I could not. I hope that everyone takes notice.”

Medium, “Online harassment silences women’s voices, and the last thing we need is to hide in a women-only social network”

“To relegate women to a special women-only social network rather than address the fundamental issue of enforcing widespread online civility is both putting our heads in the sand and blatantly, purposefully removing women’s voices from public conversations…

I propose an alternative — how about men and women alike embrace online civility and help each other loudly confront inappropriate behavior when present. A salient and creative example is Kari Traa, who recently founded Trollfighters and staged a fashion show to give victims of online harassment a venue to very publicly shame their harassers.”

The Free Thought Project, “Pervert Cop Chased Woman Down as He Masturbated, Luckily She Got Pictures to Prove It”

“On Friday, Sgt. Mason was arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and engaging in a lewd act. San Jose police spokesman Albert Morales confirmed on Wednesday that Mason has been placed on paid administrative leave.”

XO Jane, “I Said No When A Man Asked Me To Smile, So He Physically Made Me”

“The other day, I declined a man’s request to smile, so he got up, grabbed my face and physically tried to make me.”

Vanity Fair, “Jewel Shares Stories of Sexual Harassment in the Music Industry”

“She recounted further tales of harassment from her time as a homeless person: “I’ve never been more propositioned by businessmen in my life. It was almost like they were sharks that could smell blood, like of vulnerability. I’d go back to my car, writing songs, and men would literally come up and proposition me. They would be like, ‘Hey, do you need rent money?’ you know, and things like that. It was pretty wild. I never took anybody up on it, but it was interesting to see this side of men that basically would prey on somebody vulnerable.”

The Guardian (Nigeria), “Sexual harassment, intimidation hinder women’s participation in election – Stakeholders”

“A coalition of NGOs and other stakeholders on Tuesday identified sexual harassment, intimidation and lack of support as some causes for the declining rate of women’s participation in elections….The coalition of NGOs and stakeholders observed that cultural norms, male dominance, high illiteracy level among women also caused the participation and interest in politics to dwindle.”

SIT Digital Collections, “Understanding Street Harassment in Jordan: A Comparative Analysis of Syrian Refugees’ and Jordanian Citizens’ Experiences of Street Harassment in Jordanian Host Communities”

“A variety of United Nations and non-governmental organization reports have illustrated that Syrian refugees are increasingly vulnerable to street harassment in host communities. Because there have been no official statistical studies on the prevalence of street harassment in Jordan, there is no evidence that the rate of street harassment experienced by Syrian refugee women in Jordanian cities is any different than the rate of harassment experienced by Jordanian women in Jordanian cities.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of street harassment experienced by both Syrian and Jordanian women in Jordan.”

The Fusion, “People of color are sharing powerful stories of discrimination on the #afterseptember11 hashtag”

This is another part of 9/11 we need to ‪#‎neverforget‬ and vow as a country to be better.

@brahim_san ‪#‎afterseptember11‬ my mom was called “bin laden’s mom” on the street and God knows what else she has to endure she’s not telling me.

@niaisasquare #afterseptember11 my mom stopped wearing her hijab in public because of the profiling and looks of disgust. She literally feared her life.

Towleroad, “Ohio Gay Man Endures Gay Slurs, Savagely Beaten After Leaving Cleveland Gay Nightclub”

“The attack on Jarrell was so severe it caused his brain to swell and bleed and he lost 80 percent hearing ability in his right ear.

As murders of trans people continue to rise, discriminatory attacks and murders of LGBT people remain a consistent, stark reality throughout the nation.”

So terrible. We wish him a speedy recovery!

Mashable, “NYC woman gets street harassed during Periscope livestream”

“I used to think it was kind of flattering, and then I noticed it happening all the time. I realized it wasn’t about me; it was about these guys wanting to exert their animal prowess and dominance over women.”

DNA Info, “Queens Bike Workshops Aim to Get More Ladies Cycling”

“A group of workshops geared specifically for women will cover the basics of cycling and bike maintenance in an effort to get more ladies riding.

Nonprofit Recycle-a-Bicycle is teaming up with Rockaway Brewing Company and advocacy group Get Women Cycling to host the monthly classes for women — covering topics from brake repairs to street harassment.”

Broadly, “Would On-The-Spot Fines Stop Catcalling for Good?”

“Ultimately, fines won’t stop street harassment alone. Only structural changes—greater education in schools, publicity campaigns, more and better policing and legislation if necessary—will eradicate street harassment. Unfortunately, all of these measures are expensive, and difficult to introduce. If lawmakers view street harassment as a real crime, and commit real funds to tackle it, with fines if necessary, there’s every possibility we can wipe out catcalling in a generation. But will our governments make this a priority? I wouldn’t count on it.”

RoleReboot, “Why I Talked To My 13-Year-Old Daughter About Street Harassment”

“I remind her: If someone harasses you, fight back however you feel most comfortable and most safe—in the moment with your words, or by crossing the street. Make art that expresses your thoughts and feelings. Write it down. Educate people. Talk to your friends. Talk to me.”

The Siasat Daily, “20,000 police force deployed for 11 day festivities in Hyderabad”

“With a view on maintaining law and order in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, as many as 20,000 police personnel deployed as bandobust during the 11 days of Ganesh festival and the same forces would also be deployed for the Assembly sessions and Bakrid festival that fall on September 23 and 25 respectively.

Along with 20,000 police personnel from Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana, additional forces from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are being drawn for bandobust, in order to maintain peace during the festivities and to curb pick pocketing,eve-teasing in the city.”

The New Indian Express, “The Politics of a Stare”

“I was so angry I could barely get any words out. We have the right to be angry when a man stares at us. We have the right to be angry when a man passes a remark about our bodies. Because no, it is not a compliment. It does not make us feel beautiful. We get to decide when a stare makes us uncomfortable. We can tell the difference between a man “appreciating our beauty”, and a man who is trying to “put us in our place” by making us feel like we don’t belong.

We all know the stare I am talking about — the kind that makes our skin crawl. The kind that makes us avoid eye contact. The kind that makes us retreat into a shell, just so that we can make ourselves invisible. So no, it is nothing remotely romantic, it is not personal, it is not friendly. It is an expression of power designed to make us feel vulnerable, to assert the masculinity of public spaces.”

Egyptian Streets, “Egypt’s First All-Women Pink Taxi: Does Segregation Curb Sexual Harassment?”

“However, is keeping women away from men the answer to resolve this major societal issue?

“Keeping women away from men is not the answer to sexual harassment because at the end of the day, I may not be harassed by a cab driver but I am positive that a minute’s walk down the street would result in a few unwanted words and looks,” said Sara Mohammed, a 21-year-old Mass Communication student.

“Men in Egypt need to understand that we are not inferior, and they have no right to harass a woman regardless of what she is wearing or how she’s acting,” Sara explained. “It’s time they accepted that!”

The Pink Taxi initiative does resolve a small fraction of the sexual harassment epidemic in Egypt; women no longer have to fear getting sexually harassed, assaulted, or violated by a cab driver.”

Business Insider, “A new app that lets users’ friends ‘virtually walk them home at night’ is exploding in popularity”

“Tens of thousands of people around the world are now using a free personal-safety mobile app that allows friends to virtually walk you home at night.

The Companion app, created by five students from the University of Michigan, enables users to request a friend or family member to keep them company virtually and track their journey home via GPS on an online map.

Although they can do so, the friend or family member does not need to have installed the Companion app, which is available for both Android and iOS.

The user can send out several requests to different phone contacts in case people are not available to be a companion or not with their phones at the time.

Those contacted then receive an SMS text message with a hyperlink in it that sends them to a web page with an interactive map showing the user walking to their destination. If the user strays off their path, falls, is pushed, starts running, or has their headphones yanked out of their phone, the app detects these changes in movement and asks the user if they’re OK.

If the user is fine, they press a button on the app to confirm within 15 seconds. If they do not press the button, or a real emergency is occurring, the Companion app transforms the user’s phone into a personal alarm system that projects loud noises to scare criminals from the scene, and gives you the option to instantly call the police.”

The Netherlands – Amsterdam: Haven of Sex, Drugs and Rrr…Catcalls?

September 24, 2015 By Correspondent

Eve Aronson, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, SSH Blog Correspondent

When people think about Amsterdam, what usually comes to mind is a fantastical world of marijuana, Red Light Districts and lots of gorgeous canals running through the city.

The Netherlands is not really an obvious place to look at street harassment. Ranked fourth in Europe by the European Institute for Gender Equality, and ranked 14^th in the world according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, the Netherlands at first glance appears to be doing fairly satisfactorily in terms of promoting gender equality.

But there’s also a lot of people here and, consequently, a lot of room for mischief. There’s over 4,000 people per square kilometer in Amsterdam to be precise, which is about twice the amount of people in the same amount of space in New York and London.

So many humans sharing so little space doesn’t only lead to horrendously clogged roads (and bike paths) during rush hour, but also inevitably to more catcalls, more groping and to more instances of harassment in these overcrowded public spaces.

In January and February, I conducted a detailed survey of people’s experiences with street harassment in this ‘great small city’.

In just two weeks, I received a flood of over 150 responses from women, men, LGBTQ-identified folks and people of color. What their experiences underlined was that street harassment was happening in Amsterdam and that people were itching to talk about it.

The three most popular types of harassment reported were ‘Greetings’ like Hey baby and Hi sexy, Hissing or Whistling and Sexual Comments. Below is a chart of all reported types of harassment by the survey respondents in Amsterdam:

Along with the types of harassment listed above, a significant number of people also reported experiencing non-verbal forms of harassment like leering, or smirking. One respondent described their harasser(s) as, “Looking at me with their eyes like they are already ripping my clothes off and raping me very violently. Looking at me like me fighting back would only turn them on more”.

What do these and other forms of street harassment do to those who experience it? What are the effects and long-term consequences, if any? To some survey respondents, the answer to these questions was that there were none, and described their experiences as ‘benign’ or ‘normal’.

Some respondents described their experiences as complimentary. Last year, New York Post writer Doree Lewark spoke to such interpretations, pointing to the euphoric nature of catcalls: “[W]hen a total stranger notices you, it’s validating…What’s so wrong about a ‘You are sexy!’ comment from any observant man?… For me, it’s nothing short of exhilarating, yielding an unmatched level of euphoria”.

But for many people in Amsterdam, what they experienced was far from euphoric. One respondent explained that she has been diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as a result of years of street harassment in Amsterdam, a recent encounter of which left her with a broken nose after she called her harassers out.

Below are two figures illustrating the extent of the effects of street harassment on the folks like the respondent above. The first shows 14 different effects that street harassment has had on people’s day-to-day lives in Amsterdam. The second gives a glimpse into some of the emotional effects that street harassment has on people who experience it:

Survey respondents used words like “suspecting”, “fearful”, “frustrated”, “depressed” and “angry” to describe how they felt after being harassed in the streets or on public transport in Amsterdam. The experiences of these respondents were far from euphoric—rather, they are red flags that what is understood as ‘harmless’ or ‘playful’ to some is in actuality having a huge impact on how people move through public spaces and interact with others.

In April, I launched a local Hollaback! chapter in Amsterdam to provide an outlet to folks who have experienced street harassment to post their stories, get resources and mobilize on-the-ground actions. A local partner, StraatIntimidatie, is also currently running an online petition, vying for a nationwide law against street harassment.

One story told and one signature at a time, street harassment is being named and fought here in Amsterdam and around the world. Next time, I’ll talk about some cool new ways that online and digital technologies are being brought into the fold to really shed light on the pervasiveness of street harassment in Amsterdam and beyond. I’ll also talk about some important challenges that come with using these newer forms of activism and how they risk perpetuating certain racial and ethnic stereotypes about who harasses, who is harassed and why. See you next month!

You can find the full analysis of the Amsterdam survey results here or by contacting Eve at evearonson@gmail.com. Follow Eve and Hollaback! Amsterdam on Twitter at @evearonson and @iHollaback_AMS and show your support by liking Hollaback! Amsterdam’s Facebook page here.

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