Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for March 2017

“Look at this fine piece right here”

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Today was not the first time I’ve had to endured catcalls during the day. Once a guy yelled from his passing car, “I’d pay for it!”

Another time, a guy stepped in my path to shout, “Look at this fine piece right here.”

Some men have made catcalls to me while I was in the passenger side of my sister’s car.

A drunk guy on a bus full of people told me that my lips were beautiful, that I looked like I had soft hands and he started grabbing my hands.

However, today was one of the most embarrassing moments I’ve endured. I was walking up Warren Road toward Downtown Lakewood. I got to a section near Madison Ave. where cars start to line up as they wait for a series of traffics and stop signs. I was dressed warmly with a fleece jacket, thick scarf and sunglasses. Suddenly I began to hone in on the yelling, whistling, and howling slurs from a red SUV as it curved the street. “…you sexy bitch.”

I yelled back for him to F&%$ Off and die. As I continued walking the curve, I was in his sights again. He continued with, “Put you in some designers, Mmm,” I retorted that I hoped he dies in a fiery car crash then flipped him off. He continued to yell more things and laughed, but most of it was muffled by my scarf being close to my ears.

Before the car went down another curve in the street he shouted more inaudible words that ended with him yelling “…Bitch!” The street still continued with the line of bumper to bumper traffic, the whole line of cars were stopped. I started to walk slower in the hopes that I wouldn’t catch up again. I was angry and embarrassed, but I held back my emotion while I reached for my pocket knife for comfort. The worst part was that he was the passenger, meaning the driver was okay with what he was doing in their car. I wonder if any of the other drivers notice or cared. There were about 30 cars in the line. When I came past the next curve, the SUV was gone. I had to keep walking to Panera while feeling the way I felt. An hour later I was still upset and returned home. My sunny day was ruined.

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

I’m not sure. I wish I had thought to write down the license plate so I could file a harassment charge at the Lakewood Police Department. Maybe they would get a ticket.

– Alexandria DeJesus

Location: Lakewood, OH, U.S.

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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These are Our Streets, Too!

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We’re just four days out from International Anti-Street Harassment Week! Groups in 36 countries have signed up to take part. There are plenty of ways individuals can join, too. Here are a few ideas. These are our streets, too, let’s demand SAFE public spaces!

Transcript:

The right to be in public spaces safely, without fearing harassment, is one that people all over the world are routinely denied, and that is not okay. I hope you can join us from April 2 to 8 for International Anti-Street Harassment Week as people and groups all over the world take a stand against street harassment and speak in favor of safe public spaces. You can join workshops, rallies, sidewalk chalk writing parties, flyering and tweet chats. You can learn more by visiting www.meetusonthestreet.org or www.stopstreetharassment.org. Thank you.

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Groups in 36 Countries Will Take Action Next Week

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/27/17

Contact:
Holly Kearl, hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org

Groups in 36 Countries Will Take Action to Stop Street Harassment, April 2-8
They will Raise Awareness Through Rallies, Flyering, and Tweet Chats

RESTON, VA — In its seventh year, Meet Us on the Street: International Anti-Street Harassment Week will be observed in more than 35 countries. Tens of thousands of people in countries like Afghanistan, Chile, Egypt, Germany, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and Romania will participate in actions that challenge the prevalent social problem of gender-based street harassment, something that studies in more than 35 countries suggest most women and many LGBTQ individuals face.

Events will range from online to offline actions, including a Global Tweetathon on April 4 (use #EndSH). The week falls within Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States.

The organization Free Women Writers will release a video that features three stories of street harassment told by their members. “Every time we have an event or a conversation with women in Afghanistan, we hear about how prevalent street harassment is. From school girls to moms, everyone tells us how it makes them feel unsafe and discourages them from going outside the house. This is why we keep working on this issue throughout the year, but especially on International Anti-Street Harassment Week,” said Noorjahan Akbar, the organization’s founder.

Many actions are planned in Argentina, including a campaign to address rape culture in bars, pubs and night clubs and the release of short videos where transwomen share their street harassment stories. “Acción Respeto is joining the Week because it’s time women take the streets back. The fight against street harassment is a gender violence battle that we, women, will win,” said Juliana Cobos, a coordinator of the campaign.

Recently in Amsterdam, Stop Straatintimidatie helped a local fine on street harassment pass and is partnering with the local government on an event to bring attention to it. They also will award a “Woman-friendly” plaque to a local bar owner to applaud her zero tolerance of sexual harassment. Founder Gaya Branderhorst said, “Stop Straatintimidatie is joining the Week from the Netherlands because we know we need to keep fighting to have street harassment be looked at by everyone as what it is: despicable.”

“Safecity believes in safe public spaces for all, especially women and girls. We have participated in Anti Street Harassment Week since 2014 and this year we are pleased to host events and discussions on sexual violence in public spaces in the Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Amritsar and Pune,” said co-founder and CEO ElsaMarie D’Silva.

UN Women’s Safe Cities Metro Manila division in the Philippines will hold small group discussions with tricycle drivers associations (tuktuks) and they will distribute Safe Cities vests for the drivers. “There is undeniable momentum to advance women’s safety issues in public spaces, and we want to keep backing it up. There have been united calls for action in Metro Manila from women who want to walk the streets #freefromfear, and we have heard them, and the city governments are starting to hear them — women and girls want #SafeCities, that’s why UN Women is proud to join Anti-Street Harassment Week and support this advocacy,” said Katherine Belen, UN Women Safe Cities Project Officer.

Stop Telling Women to Smile is a primary co-sponsor of the week and people and groups anyway can request and post the famous “Stop telling women to smile” posters in their community on April 7. Founder Tatyana Fazlalizadeh explained, “People from all over can participate in a night of action, knowing that people in different parts of the world are doing the same thing.”

“Everyone should have the right to be in public spaces safely, but that is a right that millions of people are routinely denied due to street harassment,” said Holly Kearl, the founder of the nonprofit organization Stop Street Harassment. “We want to see this change and by speaking out in a coordinated way, we can strengthen our efforts both globally and locally to create safe public spaces for all.”

Any individual can help speak out against street harassment during the week simply by sharing stories on and offline. Visit www.MeetUsontheStreet.org for more information about the week and how to join.

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Stop Street Harassment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to documenting and ending gender-based street harassment worldwide through public education and community mobilization. SSH organizes International Anti-Street Harassment Week and runs a national street harassment hotline in the USA in collaboration with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and Defend Yourself.

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Watch OVARIAN PSYCOS Tonight

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Watch OVARIAN PSYCOS on PBS’ Independent Lens TONIGHT at 10 p.m.! 

“Riding at night through Eastside Los Angeles, the Ovarian Psycos use their bicycles to confront the violence in their lives [including street harassment]. At the helm of the crew is founder Xela de la X, a single mother and poet M.C. dedicated to recruiting an unapologetic, misfit crew of women of color, yet she struggles to strike a balance between motherhood and activism. Evie, a bright eyed recruit, joins the crew and despite poverty and the concerns of her protective Salvadoran mother, discovers a newfound confidence.  Meanwhile, Andi Xoch, a founding member and street artist who knows the deeply activist legacy from which the Ovas emerge, journeys to become a new leader within the crew.”

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10 Days Until Anti-Street Harassment Week!

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It’s an exciting time! We’re just 10 days out from the seventh annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Our numbers are growing daily and now groups and organizations in 35 countries will participate.

WHAT’S GOING ON
If you’re joining in, we need to know WHAT you’re doing! We post the info on our Events page so people who want to become involved in the Week can see what is happening near them. It also helps us when we pitch media and write articles to be able to report on the range of actions.

So help both you and us out by please completing this short form to let us know your plans! (A big thank you to everyone who has already informed us.)

STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE
We’re excited that for a fourth year, Stop Telling Women to Smile is hosting an International Wheatpasting Night during the Week, April 7. To participate, complete this form.

PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE
Here’s a press release template you can use to announce your events/actions in your community.

GLOBAL TWEETATHON
Please join the Tweetathon on April 4! Tweet about street harassment issues any time that day (any time zone, any language) while using #EndSH in your tweets. Be sure to check out what other twitter events will take place during the week.

BLOGGING!
If you wish to guest blog during the week (or have an entry cross-posted from your blog), please email HollyKearl@yahoo.com and BPurdy@mail.umw.edu, with a short pitch about what the blog would cover and the preferred date or time range you’d like it published.

LOGOS, IMAGES, FLYERS
We have a selection of shareable images and downloadable fliers on our website! Feel free to use them however you would like.

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions, suggestions, or information!

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