Archives for January 2017

“That is not appropriate”

January 19, 2017 By Contributor

I was walking downtown on lunch today and a man just stopped and stared at me and waited until I was about 5 feet from him and said, “Damn girl, look how thick you is. I love you, yeah, Damn.”

I said, “That is not appropriate.”

He continued on, “Don’t worry girl I’m not going to mess with you, damn you thick that’s nice.”

All while staring at me like I was a stripper on a pole.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Teach men that women DO NOT LIKE TO BE CATCALLED. It is disrespectful and downright scary sometimes.

– HK

Location: Atlanta, GA

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.

Meet the New Blog Correspondents of 2017!

January 16, 2017 By HKearl

Since 2013, cohorts of people from around the world write monthly articles about street harassment and activism efforts in their communities. Read their articles.

Meet the New Blog Correspondents of the First Cohort of 2017

Libby Allnatt, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Libby is a student at Arizona State University. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, she is majoring in journalism with a focus on print. She also is minoring in psychology and women’s studies to pursue her passion for understanding human behavior and combating gender-based injustice. She has particular interest in how media messages affect gender socialization and the psychology behind gender-based violence. Libby is passionate about raising awareness of street harassment because she believes everyone has the right to walk down the street with peace of mind. Street harassment is a culmination of gender violence and objectification, and she refuses to stop talking about it. One of her main goals in life is to help young girls realize their full potential. When she’s not talking about feminism, she’s usually running, writing, doing yoga, or trying to find a cat to pet. You can follow her on Twitter @libbyallnattasu and Instagram @LibbyPaigeA.

Simona-Maria Chirciu, Bucharest, Romania

Simona-Marie is a Ph.D. Student in Political Sciences, working on a thesis on gender-based street harassment in Romania. She has a BA in Political Sciences from the Faculty of Political Sciences, NSPSPA (National School of Political Sciences and Public Administration), with a theme on Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran and Communist Ideology in China (2012) and a Master Degree in Policy, Gender and Minorities, Faculty of Political Sciences, NSPSPA, with a thesis on street harassment in Bucharest (2014). Simona’s main research interests are in gender-based street harassment, sexual violence and other forms of violence against women, gender and poverty, gender equality and equal opportunities, social justice. In the past she worked as a gender equality expert and sexual violence expert. Also, she is an activist and she organizes numerous public actions (marches, flash-mobs, protests) against sexual violence and street harassment against women. Now she is part of an working-group trying to improve by public policies the situation of young homeless people in Romania. You can find her on Facebook.

Elaine Crory, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Elaine is a part-time politics lecturer and a mother of two. Originally from rural Cavan, she studied and worked in Dublin for a decade before coming to Belfast, where she started a family and met a network of committed activists. She is director of Hollaback! Belfast, co-organises the city’s annual Reclaim the Night march, and volunteers with Belfast Feminist Network and Alliance for Choice to campaign for a broad range of women’s issues. She is passionate about community organising and activism as a way to bring intersectional feminism to life, and especially interested in street harassment as the first way in which many young people encounter sexism in their lives. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, reading and strategic napping.

Annabel Laughton, Gloucestershire, UK

Annabel is a passionate feminist who strives to constantly learn more about feminism, patriarchy, misogyny, racism and sexism. She is involved in campaigns for human rights, mental health, environmental issues and social justice. She is inspired by many incredible women activists, and by her friends. Her favourite quote is from Maya Angelou: “You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated”. Annabel has an honours degree in Classical Studies, a diploma in counselling, and works in Higher Education. She spends her free time running, swimming, hiking, and reading about ancient Greek epic.

Ken Rodrigo, Makati, Philippines

Ken is a teacher of international studies at a university in Manila. After law school, she traveled to Denmark and eventually studied in Malmö University in Sweden where she earned her master’s in Human Rights. Her experience in progressive countries influenced her views of society. She wishes to contribute to her home country by advocating social movement for meaningful social change. You can contact her at krnrdrg@gmail.com or on Facebook.

“Don’t ever come back and leave women alone!”

January 8, 2017 By Contributor

It has happened my entire life from the time I was 8 until I was 45 and no longer looked “young” enough to get harassed. Since then it happens a whole lot less, but it can still happen if they see me from behind and think I’m younger. When I turn around the look on their faces is priceless.

The one incident that stands out for me is the time I was getting on a bus and my husband and friends were behind me. Some guy stands up in his seat, grabs me, throws me into the seat beside him and says, “You’re sitting HERE!” I go to get up, he pushes me back and that’s when I lost my temper. I screamed, “You moron, I’m with my husband and friends who right there.” Then when he turned to look behind him, I picked up my feet and shoved him across the aisle into the empty seats.

He sat there frozen then looked at my husband and said, “Are you gonna hurt me?”

My husband just laughed, “No, man. It looks like she already did and my wife is martial arts trained, so good luck with that.”

Everyone on the bus laughed and the guy went to the front of the bus waiting for the next stop, just staring at his feet. When he got off, the bus driver yelled at him, “Don’t ever come back and leave women alone!”

I remember that one, because it was when I finally stood up for myself, plus while I’d had men catcall me or try to chat me up, no one had physically ever tried to grab and restrain me.

I stopped tolerating harassment a lot after that.

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

Get really good at trusting your instincts and what type of situation is in front of you. Read Gavin de Becker’s book The Gift of Fear because it is hands down the best book I’ve read for learning to trust that little voice inside you. Understand a guy shouting something at you from a car that keeps going on past you is very different than the guy scooting up to you in a deserted subway station or who tries to take advantage of a crowded subway by mashing themselves into you.

Next, if you are not a loud boisterous person or you are shy or just have a go-to setting of, “Be nice to everyone,” take some self-defense classes (ones that teach you what to do in bad situations, not ones showing you how to do impressive roundhouse kicks type stuff) or assertiveness classes or even just yell things like, “NO, STOP IT” and “GET AWAY FROM ME!” in the mirror until you can do that easily with a loud authoritative voice and you don’t feel shy or feel stupid doing it.

Stand up for others when you see it happening to them. Don’t look the other way and silently be glad it’s not you they’re targeting. Our silence and our passiveness to let bad things happen to other people feeds street harassment. Do the same things you would for that person that you would do for you if it were you.

– Anonymous

Location: Los Angeles city bus

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.

Three Ways to Help Stop Street Harassment in 2017

January 6, 2017 By HKearl

A new year is upon us and if you are looking for ways to get involved in making the world a better, safer and more equitable place, we can help! Here are three things you can do this year, immediately, to help raise awareness about street harassment — and work to end it.

1. Apply to join our first Blog Correspondents cohort of 2017. This volunteer position entails writing a monthly article (500-800 words) about street harassment and/or activism in your community. This is an important way to show this is a problem all over the world… and that there are people all over the world dedicated to ending it. The position runs from January (now!) to April 2017, apply today.

2. Plan to take action during International Anti-Street Harassment Week. From April 2 to 8, 2017, hundreds of groups and tens of thousands of people all over the world will join together to raise awareness about street harassment. This is the 7th year and in the past, groups in up to 41 countries have participated by marching, wheatpasting, sidewalk chalking, holding workshops and rallies, writing op-eds and holding tweet chats. How will you take part?

3. Spread the word about the National Street Harassment Hotline. You never know who will need this toll-free 24/7 support — spread the word over social media or in person about the hotline. You can also donate to help cover the cost of running it in 2017.

Three men literally hold court to decide her feelings of personal safety

January 6, 2017 By Contributor

I’m 53, I have been stared at, followed, stalked, and plain harassed since I was 18. I do not think I’ve ever had a job where I was not subjected to some kind of sexual harassment.

About three years ago, a man, roughly 60 years old, moved in next door to my home. He began initiating conversation which I rebuffed and never participated in except to nod, smile and excuse myself. The behavior escalated to stalking, waiting in front of my house in his car, and more conversation, following me down my driveway and asking inappropriate things, such as: was I happy being married?

Finally, I told my husband and avoided ever going to the front of my house. My husband and I decided to get a restraining order after the stalker came into my front yard, startling me while I was watering plants. The signing judge was great, issued the order, and was sympathetic. The stalker got a pro bono lawyer from some “community ” group funded by the county and appealed. I appeared on my own, mistake, even though my county web site emphasizes victims can appear on their own.

The judge, (really, referee), was rude, couldn’t understand what the problem was, and proceeded to label me as having “issues.” The restraining order was overturned. Shocked, my husband and I went home and put our home up for sale. We sold our home of 22 years, without a yard sign in a matter of days and quickly moved.

We live only 6 blocks away but I recently saw our old “neighbor “, as I was taking the garbage out, I ducked behind a retaining wall, he didn’t see me. Can you ever imagine a scenario where a court referee, man, a stalker, man and a lawyer, man literally hold court to decide your feelings of personal safety?

– Anonymous

Location: Minneapolis, MN

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.

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