Archives for March 2016

Requests for Anti-Street Harassment Art Proposal in D.C.

March 31, 2016 By HKearl

Not only is Washington, D.C. poised to become the first U.S. city with a taskforce on street harassment and the first American transit system to issue a specific survey to riders just on sexual harassment (the results will be released in April), but now they are the first U.S. city to have a grant for an art project on street harassment!

This week the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) Vision Zero Initiative, and Age-Friendly DC partnered to issue a call to DC artists and designers to propose a “Zero Street Harassment Project.” The project budget is $41,000, and submissions are due by April 28, 2016, at 5 p.m.

Earlier this month, SSH and Collective Action for Safe Spaces met with staff to educate them about street harassment. CASS will be applying for the grant, but as SSH is not, I helped review the call for proposals and will serve on the committee to review the proposals.

This is so exciting!!! Here is the full grant information.

Way to go Washington, D.C.!!

Morocco Proposes Law that Addresses Street Harassment

March 30, 2016 By HKearl

Earlier this month, Bassima Hakkaoui, Moroccan Minister of Solidarity Women, Family, and Social Development, announced a new second draft for an anti-sexual harassment law.

Via Morocco World News:

“During the presentation of the draft, Hakkaoui acknowledged that the previous version of the bill contained “limited measures” to protect women from the “worrying phenomenon” of sexual harassment “sweeping” the public spaces in the kingdom.

According to the text of the bill, day after day more women are becoming victims of sexual harassment in Morocco.

The new bill legally redefines the spaces in which women can claim they have been sexually harassed [including public spaces]. Sexual harassment includes unsolicited acts, statements, or signals of a sexual nature, which are delivered in person, online, or via telephone, the bill says.

The draft includes tougher punishments for perpetrators as well. A person convicted of committing sexual assault could face a combination of jail time, ranging anywhere from one month to six months, and fines, between MAD 2,000 and MAD 10,000.

Perpetrators of sexual violence could be charged with both punishments if they are found to be a coworker of the victim or are part of the country’s security forces, according to the text of the bill.”

“Tell them when they insult you.”

March 29, 2016 By Contributor

Being a student studying at an art school in downtown San Francisco, I always dread slow tourists as I try to get to class. I overtook a slow-walking tourists without even touching his shoulders or having contact with him. I literally just passed on the left side and kept fast walking. He started shouting insults to me and I was shocked as I never did anything to get such reaction. Now I get such insulting reactions almost once a week.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

Fight back. Tell them when they insult you.

– Alek Picardal

Location: Union Square area, San Francisco, CA

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

Street Harasser in Los Angeles Shot a Woman at a Bus Stop

March 28, 2016 By HKearl

Last night two teenage girls were at the Pico-Union bus stop when two men pulled up and the driver started “flirting” with the girls (according to My News LA). However, I’m quite certain they were harassing and perhaps even threatening them because one of the girls called her mother. The mother confronted the driver, who shot her twice in the lower abdomen and also shot one of the girls in the leg. They both had stable signs when taken to the hospital and the suspect has not been caught yet.

Street harassment IS serious and the feelings of entitlement that can go along with it are dangerous. This is not flirting (consensual) or a compliment. This is harassment, it’s predatory, and it can escalate quickly.

I wish the woman & teenager a speedy recovery.

H/t Soraya Chemaly

10 Ways Individuals Can Join Anti-Street Harassment Week

March 28, 2016 By HKearl

This is an updated post from 2015, written by Britnae Purdy.

Anyone, anywhere can participate in International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Here are some things you can do as an individual:

1) Learn more – It’s cliché, but true: change starts with you. Are you curious about street harassment, but don’t really understand why it’s a big deal? Do you know your friends would ask questions if you started talking about it? Take a little time to look through our resources and toolkits, and you’ll be prepared to start a conversation wherever you go!

2) Talk about it – This is probably the simplest thing you can do, but always important. Post your thoughts and opinions to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with the hashtags #EndSH or #streetharassment. We want to hear from you! Don’t forget to change your profile picture or cover photo with one of our great graphics. You can also participate in one of our many tweetchats and Google hang-outs scheduled throughout the week, including our Global Tweetathon on April 12! Just use #EndSH.

3) Cover your neighborhood – Help yourself to our extensive collection of graphics and posters, in various languages. Print them out, hang them in coffee shops, libraries, telephone poles, or hand them out. Girls Speak has also developed an awesome series of posters and infographics meant for posting in public spaces – post and then share them with @GrlsSpeak and @NoStHarassWeek. Another easy way to get involved is to arm yourself with sidewalk chalk and cover the streets in positive or anti-harassment messages.

4) Write it out – We know you have something important to say. Our movement is dedicated to sharing a wide variety of voices and perspectives – and that includes you! If you’re interested in writing a guest post, send it to Holly Kearl (hkearl @ stopstreetharassment.org). But also, write on your own blog, on social media, for sites like Medium.com. You can also write about street harassment with sidewalk chalk in your own neighborhood! (Here’s an example in Florida.) Let people around you know what happens there and that it’s not okay.

5) Join International Wheat Pasting Night – By now, many of us have seen and fallen in love with artist Tatyana Falalizadeh’s compelling Stop Telling Women to Smile images. On April 15^th, she will be making these posters available to anyone who wants to participate by hanging them in their own towns! Stay tuned for more details on this.

6) Join a local organization – Did you know that over 100 organizations in more than 30 countries are partnering up with us this year? Peruse our list and find someone in your area! Shoot them an email and consider showing up to an event or meeting. Are you a student? Reach out to a like-minded student club (feminist, womanist, LGBTQI+, social justice, etc.) and ask them if they’re involved with Anti-Street Harassment Week. If they’re not, give them some pointers on what they can do! Need help finding a group near you? Email hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org and we’ll help you out.

7) Create art – We think art is one of the most powerful tools in creating social change. Whether you’re painting a mural in the middle of town or sketching something out in your bedroom, we would love it if you shared with us so we can help you inspire others!

Also, do you have a dog? Take a photo of your #HoundsAgainstHarassment!

8) Start your own organization – You’ll be surprised how many people are just looking for someone to start something. Start a campus club, meet with people at a downtown coffee shop, join together other people in your profession – whatever works for you. You know your town best – you’re the best person to make a change! Be sure to refer #2 to find tools that will help you start up.

9) Join us year-round! – We’re a volunteer-driven organization, meaning we’re always in need of enthusiastic volunteers. If April is an especially crazy month for you, check out this list of ways you can get involved with Stop Street Harassment!

10) Donate – This is last on our list for a reason. We aren’t in this to make money – Anti-Street Harassment Week is about action, not dollar bills. However, we know that this is how some people prefer to help out. Your donation will help fund much-needed things like our website update and Safe Public Spaces Mentoring Program.