Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Day 1: Anti-Street Harassment Week 2018

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Thank you so much to everyone who is taking a stand against street harassment this week for International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2018!! I’ll be doing daily updates to highlight various efforts occurring around the globe. Report back on your actions here. 

I’m also updating the 2018 Photo Album a few times a day. You can also tag SSH on social media or email me at StopStreetHarassment@Gmail.com.

Here is a sampling of the social media postings from today!

Free Women Writers. Image by Roya Saberzada

Today, several week-long initiatives kicked off today, including three daily art/photo projects.

Afghanistan: Each day of the week, Free Women Writers will share a piece of art about how women and girls in Afghanistan and around the world are harassed regardless of what they wear. Today’s art work is by @Royasaberzada.

UK: Cheer up Luv will be sharing photographs + stories on their Instagram account across the week to raise awareness about street harassment.

USA: With art from PSA Art Awakenings in Tucson and the leadership of Hey Baby | Art Against Sexual Violence, each day of Anti Street Harassment Week, the Joel Valdez Main Library in Tucson, AZ, will display different pieces of artwork that advocate for everyone’s right to be in public space and explores gender-based harassment and or ending street harassment.

Today, the two pieces are: “Beginnings” by Spyder & the “CityScape / PublicSpace” by DesertRoseEK.

These were some of the actions that took place globally!

Argentina: Accion Respeto held a debate around legal remedies to street harassment and demanded “that a comprehensive law be sanctioned that not only penalizes harassment but also takes measures to eradicate the root causes of this form of gender violence.”

Canada: Despite the cold, Hollaback! Ottawa hosted a Chalk Walk in the downtown area.

Women in Cities International, based in Montreal, launched a blog series for the week.

Chile: OCAC Chile distributed flyers about street harassment. They hung posters showing statistics of street harassment worldwide. They shared information about the need for a bill for respect in the streets.

Colombia: No Me Calle did flyering and chatted with passersby about street harassment and did a bicycle ride — #MePasóEnBici

Papua New Guinea: Sanap Wantaim Youths from Bomana participated in a street theatre session with Bob at Moresby Arts Theatre to kick of Anti-Street Harassment Week.

BONUS – DAY 0:

Yesterday, Combat SH held a chalk walk in St. Louis, MO, to raise awareness! Here are some of their pics.

Someone who saw their chalking shared this on Instagram:

Yesterday, Women Worldwide Initiative also kicked off the Week early with an event they hosted with Wordat4F in New York. They held an open mic and community discussion “to advocate for the safety of all individuals who have been victims of unwanted and inappropriate street harassment. We choose to utilize community public spaces by educating bystanders and empowering women through storytelling and poetry.”

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What will YOU do over Anti-Street Harassment Week?

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Teenage girls all over the world face sexual harassment in public spaces, or street harassment, as they simply try to go to and from school. This ISN’T OK!

What will you do to take a stand and speak out over the 8th annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week? It can be as simple as writing a message in chalk, sharing your story or tweeting out resources using #EndSH. See if there are events in your area and/or join the virtual events happening across the Week.

I kicked off the Week by doing chalking in my Virginia neighborhood during a walk this morning.

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2018 Anti-Street Harassment Week IS HERE!

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Welcome to the eighth annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week! We are around 30 countries strong and counting!! If you haven’t shared your actions, please do so ASAP.

NEW, FINAL INFORMATION:

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS:
If you need sample text to share on social media across the week, here is a new resource with 13 options. Also, the shareable images/tools album is newly updated with images you can use, too.

REPORT BACK:
Thank you so much to everyone who let us know about their events/actions for the website.

Next we want to celebrate and share what you’ve done in: 1) our 2018 online photo album of actions and 2) the annual wrap-up report. So, please complete this form as well as send or tag us in your photos!! (StopStreetHarassment@Gmail.com)

READ THE DAILY UPDATES:
Visit the Stop Street Harassment blog for updates about events/actions each day. We also have guest blog posts slated across the Week.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates. Feel free to tag us in your posts and with your photos!

Share with us links to any media coverage you receive or articles you write!

REMINDERS:

STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE
Stop Telling Women to Smile is hosting an International Wheatpasting Night during the Week, April 13. The form to participate is still pending…stay tuned.

GLOBAL TWEETATHON
Please join the Tweetathon on April 10! Tweet about street harassment issues any time that day (any time zone, any language) while using #EndSH in your tweets (feel free to use other hashtags, too). Be sure to check out the other Twitter and Webinar events, too.

BLOGGING!
It’s not too late – if you wish to guest blog during the week (or have an entry cross-posted from your blog, any language), please email stopstreetharassment@gmail.com, with a short pitch.

A BIG THANK YOU

I want to close with words of gratitude to all of you for taking the time and effort to be part of this Week. Obviously it wouldn’t be possible without people organizing actions and participating!! After eight years of spearheading the Week, I know that it makes a difference at the local and global level.

Now, it’s time to Meet Us on the Street and raise awareness together!

Thank You,
Holly Kearl, Stop Street Harassment Founder
Questions? Contact Holly: StopStreetHarassment@Gmail.com

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Walking Towards Justice

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This week, America Walks hosted an important webinar for 300 live participants about street harassment, how it impacts people’s ability to safely use public spaces and what we can do about it. Here’s the recording, with more info below.

“This is the third discussion of the new America Walks discussion series, “Walking Towards Justice” and explores issues of street harassment and creating places that are welcoming for all genders and sexual orientations. It includes guest co-host Veronica O. Davis, PE and special guest, Holly Kearl, author of Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe and Welcoming for Women  Also joining the panel were nationally-known experts, Vanessa Garrison, Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman, and Rio, MAED, LCI, SCI.”

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New Resources: Survey & Discussion Guide

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Here are new resources we are releasing in time for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, but they also that can be used any time.

  1. If you’d like to conduct your own local survey on street harassment, you are welcome to adapt either our 2014 survey or our 2018 survey as you create your own.
  2. If you’d like to host a discussion group on street harassment, here is a four-page guide (Word | PDF), complete with material and resource suggestions. Feel free to adapt it or build onto it, too. It incorporates a few of the key findings from the 2014 and 2018 surveys.

 

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