Archives for October 2016

Late October 2016 News Round-Up

October 31, 2016 By HKearl

Here are some of the global news highlights from the past few weeks:

Tens of thousands of women marched in Argentina to protest violence against women.

“Respectful relationship” curriculum will be mandatory in all Victoria, Australia, schools next year and students will learn about social inequality, gender-based violence, and male privilege.

A video of a woman walking for two hours in San Jose, Costa Rica, garnered a lot of discussion about street harassment.

A French TV commentator kissed a young woman’s breasts without consent on live TV, sparking a national conversation about sexual abuse.

Thanks to SHE teams launched two years ago in Hyderabad, India, street harassment is down by 20%.

Half of all women in Ireland have faced some form of sexual harassment in their life.

An increase in non-consensual up-skirt recordings in tourist areas in Kyoto, Japan, has prompted more police patrolling.

Women in Morocco are standing up to street harassers.

Illustrator Shehzil Malik in Pakistan created a series of images she called #WomenInPublicSpaces.

A viral video of street harassment in Trinidad prompted the Office of the Prime Minister (Gender and Child Affairs) to state that such behavior is illegal.

Thousands of women in Turkey dressed in their best and rode bicycles to claim their right to the streets.

fancywomenonbiketurkey2016 — *Turkey. Via NYT Live*

Ireland: My Body, My Choice: From Reproductive Rights to Sexual Harassment

October 29, 2016 By HKearl

Grace Gageby, Dublin, Ireland, SSH Blog Correspondent

In 1983, the 8th Amendment, a ban on abortion that gave the “right to life of the unborn with due regard to the equal life of the mother” was voted into the Irish constitution. The youngest person who voted in the referendum then is now 51.

Between the implementation of the 8th Amendment and the present day, a pro-choice movement has been struggling to secure a woman’s right to control her own body in Ireland. This September saw the 5^th annual March for Choice, in which (despite bus strikes and abysmal weather) 25,000 people took to the streets of Dublin to call on the conservative political establishment to trust women to make their own choices.

Women and men of all ages marched through the city with signs declaring ‘My body, my choice’, ‘Get your rosaries off my ovaries”, ‘Woman, not vessel’, ‘Not the Church, not the State, women must decide their fate’, and, in reference to Ireland’s victory in the Marriage Equality campaign, ‘Choice: you gave it to the gays, now give it to the girls.’ Speeches at the end of the march drew attention to how Ireland’s abortion ban affects the most vulnerable women in society, for example, asylum seekers.

A tribute was paid to the 12 women a day who are forced to travel to England for abortions, in this moving rendition of the traditional song, ‘Trasna na Donnta’ (Irish for ‘Across the Waves’).

The past few months have seen a big focus on repealing the amendment. Sweaters with merely the word ‘repeal’ printed on them sold out in one day in a pop-up shop in Dublin city centre. All proceeds were given to the Abortion Rights Campaign, and across the country, men and women of all ages literally wore their beliefs on their chests.

Street artist, Maser, graffitied a large red and white heart bearing the words “Repeal the 8^th” on the wall of Dublin’s Project Art’s centre. The mural was painted over after Dublin City Council received complaints, which sparked mass outrage and indignation over this threat to freedom of speech. At a protest, I spoke to countless men and women who wanted to make the message abundantly clear: the issue of reproductive rights in Ireland cannot be covered up with a bit of blue paint.

People in Ireland are no longer accepting the quintessential Irish problem of shoving matters under the carpet, and exiling women to England to receive medical treatment their own country refuses to provide. Since being painted over, the mural has become iconic, popping up all over the city on bags, shirts, badges, in shop windows, and even on donuts made by the fabulous Aungier Danger! In its suppression, the painting over of the mural spawned insurgence and sparked a conversation that cannot be muted by a backward establishment determined to dominate women’s sexual and personal decisions.

Unfortunately, Ireland’s history of silencing women’s oppression goes back further than the 8^th amendment. In fact, the 8^th was built on the legacy of the Magdalene Laundries, institutions run by the Catholic Church to house ‘fallen women’. The Magdalene Laundries were motivated by not only a desire for free labour, but, according to Frances Finnegan (author of Do Penance or Perish: A Study of Magdalene Asylums in Ireland), a need to “maintain moral and social order within the bounds of a patriarchal structure.” An estimated 30,000 women were confined in these laundries in the 19^th and 20^th century. Historically, there has been a culture of secrecy surrounding the laundries, and the abuse women faced within them. While Taoiseach Enda Kenny (Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland) issued a formal apology in 2013, the religious institutions such as the Sisters of Mercy refused demands from the Irish government, UN Committee on Rights of the Child and the UN Committee Against Torture to contribute to the compensation fund for victims of the laundries.

With this history of oppression and silence, it is hardly surprising the archaic 8^th amendment is currently in place in Ireland. It stems from centuries of Church and State control over women’s bodies.

Despite this, a youthful, vibrant pro-choice movement in Ireland is flourishing, having taken inspiration from the Yes Equality Campaign that legalised gay marriage in 2015. This victory was not only a joyous occasion for Ireland, but also for politicized sections of LGBT people, women and the working class who are currently at the forefront in the struggle for reproductive rights in Ireland. The sheer momentum behind the pro-choice movement in Ireland has created a massive drive for challenging sexism in all its facets.

If we want to achieve true gender equality in Ireland, we cannot and will not have a law policing women’s bodies in our constitution. If women are not equal in the eyes of the law, how can we expect the same thing in the hearts and minds of our citizens? Women’s bodies are not commodities: not vessels for children, not possessions of the State and not objects for the male gaze. We need to reject a culture of silencing oppression and of not listening to women’s stories, whether they be stories of assault, harassment, or being criminalized for having a say in their own reproductive rights. The current appetite for social change and challenging sexism in all it’s forms has created a platform from which women can be heard, and given Ireland’s history, it’s about time.

Grace is a student. She writes regularly for her school newsletter and yearbook, and has been published in Inis Magazine. Grace is currently involved with the socialist feminist group ROSA (for Reproductive rights, against Oppression, Sexism & Austerity), and their campaign for abortion rights in Ireland.

Runner’s World Focuses on Street Harassment

October 27, 2016 By HKearl

I ran my first 5k when I was 8 years old and I began running long distances in middle school. In total, I have 25 years of running under my belt. I use running for stress relief, fitness, to enjoy nature, and to train for races. It’s also a great way to do sightseeing in a new place because you can see more than you can walking but you don’t go zipping by too fast like you might in a car. Sadly, street harassment has marred many of my runs. At least hundreds of men have verbally harassed me, a few have done worse. In my 20s, I realized this is not unusual for women runners. It’s just one more way that we lack safe and equal access to public spaces.

I am so grateful that Runner’s World tackled street harassment and runners by conducting a survey of 4,670 runners and writing a feature article for their December issue. In an unprecedented move, they released the survey results and article online last night. SSH supporter and journalist Michelle Hamilton is the author of the article.

Here is an excerpt, do read the full piece!

Two of the questions -- black is men, grey is women — *Two of the survey questions — black is men’s response, grey is women’s response*

“43 percent of women at least sometimes experience harassment on the run, according to a recent RW survey, compared with just 4 percent of men. In the vast majority of cases, it’s not life-threatening. But it is pervasive, and it’s upsetting, and it’s most likely happening to you or someone you know.

A man will look a woman up and down as she runs past. A driver will shout a come-on, laughing with his friends as they speed away. A person on a bike or in a car will follow a woman, and she might dart down a side street to escape. Even if nothing like this happens most days, knowing that it (or something worse) could happen causes stress. As the recent national dialogue surrounding Donald Trump’s sexist comments and alleged assaults brought to light, almost all women—runners or not—have endured unwanted sexual attention. And no matter how swift a woman’s pace, it’s impossible to outrun harassment….

There’s no immediate, easy solution, because sexual harassment is a complex societal problem. But open and honest conversations about the issue—ones that include men as well as women—are a step in the right direction. “Too often, street harassment is normalized and minimized,” Kearl says. “Listening to people’s stories with empathy is important because these actions signal that street harassment is a serious issue.” Kimmel encourages men to speak up when they witness sexist treatment. “If I say nothing, even though I don’t like the behavior,” he says, “other men assume I support it.” Even if female runners can’t be entirely spared of harassment, disrupting the status quo is a place to start.”

“Don’t let them silence you.

October 25, 2016 By Contributor

A guy approached me as I was coming out of class. He asked me if I wanted to be a prostitute and commented on how hard I was making his dick. When I made the report, the police officer asked, “Have you never been hit on before?”

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

Always speak up. To the perpetrator, to the police, even against the police if you need to. Don’t let them silence you.

– Riece Hamilton

Location: 2nd and Broadway, Louisville, KY

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

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

Spain: Including Harassment and Sexual Abuse in Laws

October 24, 2016 By Correspondent

Alice C.R., Barcelona, Spain SSH Blog Correspondent

Recently, the Nottingham police in the UK decided to treat misogyny, ranging from street harassment to physical attack, as a hate crime. This marks a step forward in the fight against violence against women and stopping street harassment. Some initiatives had already been launched to tackle violence and harassment in public transportation in London in 2013. In Paris, street harassment is sadly common and considered as a “séduction à la française,” and a 2015 study shows that 100% of the women interviewed said they suffered at least one case of harassment. This “French lover” culture is so ingrained, accepted, valorized and glamorized that the decision to institute a plan of action has been virulently criticized and even rejected. Many voices, mainly male voices, raised against this plan arguing it was anti-male and even anti-social. In their arguments, the difference between harassment and even physical assault and an attempt to pick up is shockingly blurred and ignored.

This is especially alarming given how such harassment can escalate to violent crimes like physical assault and rape and even death. In December 2014, a woman was killed with a screwdriver for rejecting sexual advances in a Parisian street close to Bastille. There was also the case of a young woman being harassed, threaten and groped by a man in the Lille metro which has been widely commented on the media. The man admitted he hit on the woman. Cases like this are not unique at all and such frightening stories have been shared by women everywhere in France. Just have a look at Project Crocodiles for example.

Actually, I have to admit that my decision to leave France has been, among others reasons, motivated by the harassment I had to face on a daily basis from the age of 10. Harassment occurred by day, in crowded spaces and while I wrote large trousers and large shirts. Of course I am not saying that harassment is acceptable if we wear skirt or short or a bralette, I just want to emphasize that what we wear does not help to prevent harassment. I always carried a whistle, had my mobile phone ready for calling the police, and held my keys strongly between my fingers. At some point, it was so bad that I asked my boyfriend to come to pick me up at work. That was just unbelievable and such a restriction of movement which I never faced in others countries where I lived. I still feel very unsafe, uncomfortable and, somehow, scared when I have to travel there.

In Barcelona, I found a friendlier environment. I remember being positively surprised to see posters at the entrance of supermarkets indicating what to do in case of domestic violence, to walk down the street and discover new poster from a new public campaign, to get leaflets in the metro explaining how to recognize gendered violence and what to do. I never suffered the same level of harassment here as in France, even when alone at night and wearing a skirt.

I was not yet in Spain in 2004 when the organic law which integrated measures to prevent and fight violence against women was adopted, but I heard a lot about it as a model to follow. This law demonstrates a recognition and an awareness of the issue. But (unfortunately, there is always a “but”) it does not mean that everything is perfect here. It is not.

For too many people, gendered violence means physical domestic violence, but in reality, gendered violence is not limited only to this kind of violence, yet it seems that others violence are a bit excluded. As a matter of fact, if almost everyone agrees that it is not okay to hit someone, it seems that psychological violence, verbal harassment and sexual abuses do not provoke the same reaction. I say “almost” because some people still think it is okay to hit, especially women. This year so far, there have been 35 women killed by their intimate partner and there are 83 if we add women killed by non-intimate partner. And that is the point. A woman who is attacked by her partner is considered to be a victim of gendered violence. A woman who is attacked by a stranger is not and she won’t be allowed to benefit from some measure of protection.

Sexual violence and abuse neither. In fact, they are not included in the organic law of 2004 and associations and organizations like 7N, Stop Violencia Sexual and l’Aadas ask for its inclusion right now. The recent event of San Firmin rape case re-opened the debate.

This law is a good tool to fight violence against women but it needs to include all kind of form of violence. As long as something is not recognized, it is a bit like if it does not really exist or is not very serious. But we all know the impact of such kind of violence. And it is very serious.

Alice likes researching, analyzing and writing about Women’s Rights, gender bias, and intersectionalism with a special focus on sexual violence, rape, rape culture, the impact of street harassment and how the media deals with these issues. She is currently working on a new project focused on how some media participate in the revictimization of victims. Follow her and her projects on her Facebook page and via Twitter @Alyselily.