HKearl, Author at Stop Street Harassment

Day 3: International Anti-Street Harassment Week

April 12, 2016 By HKearl

Hello Day 3!

Here are photos from the week so far! Here are the media hits.

Our board member Erin walks us through 3 street harassment myths.

Thanks to everyone who joined the Tweetathon ALL DAY using #EndSH —

(Note: By tweeting and using #EndSH, #SexObject or tagging @DeyStreet, @StopStHarassmnt, you can enter a drawing for a copy of Jessica Valenti‘s new book Sex Object. LEARN MORE)

Here are some of the events and actions that took place —

Brazil: Chega de Fiu Fiu created a video looking at how movies, series, music videos and songs try to normalize street harassment and help perpetuate it.

Chile: A law amendment to criminalize street harassment was passed unanimously today in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies! Read more (Spanish).

Egypt: Imprint Movement hosted an online awareness campaign across the week [Cairo]

“The law is on your side, speak up”

Nepal: Activista Nepal conducted a workshop on ” SAFE CITY & STREET HARASSMENT” at KATHMANDU MODEL COLLEGE (KMC), Balkumari Lalitpur District. Around 50 students took part in the workshop.

4.12.16 Activista Nepal conducted workshop on 'SAFE CITY & STREET HARASSMENT' at KATHMANDU MODEL COLLEGE 3

4.12.16 Activista Nepal conducted workshop on 'SAFE CITY & STREET HARASSMENT' at KATHMANDU MODEL COLLEGE 10

4.12.16 Activista Nepal conducted workshop on 'SAFE CITY & STREET HARASSMENT' at KATHMANDU MODEL COLLEGE

Papua New Guinea: The UN Women Safe Cities programme site will host an “Anti-Harassment Awareness Day” in Port Moresby at two venues and times. First, in the Gordons Market, there will be a community conversation animated by the Municipal Gender Desk and a youth group that promotes ending violence against women in public spaces through yoga (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.). Then, from 3 – 5 p.m., they will interview women commuters at women-only bus stops about their personal impressions and solutions to harassment in public spaces. During this activity also the repheral pathway, developed by UN-Women and the local government, will be shared and accesible to the women commuters. [10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. in Port Moresby]

Illinois: University of Illinois hosted a keynote speech with Stop Telling Women to Smile artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh.

Iowa: End Street Harassment – Iowa City is hosting a few events in Iowa City across the week, including sidewalk chalking. [8:30 p.m. Meet at the Iowa City Public Library]

Maryland: Hollaback Bmore is hosting a Self-Care Gathering at the MICA Wellness Center [6 p.m.]

Washington, DC-area: WMATA, SSH and Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS) released the findings of the city’s first-ever transit harassment survey and co-hosted a flyering event at several metro stations. [4-6 p.m.]

Washington, DC: CASS hosted a public workshop on responding to street harassment. $10 suggested donation. [6-8 p.m.]

There are various online campaigns too:

Egypt – HarassMap

New song about street harassment from La Castor (in French)

Day 2: International Anti-Street Harassment Week

April 11, 2016 By HKearl

Welcome to Day 2!

Here are photos from the week so far! Also, check out the 7 easy ways to respond to street harassers video our board members Erin McKelle and Manuel Abril created.

We had a Tweet Chat today at 11 a.m. ET led by Sayfty, with #EndSH, #SayftyChat. Read the recap (created by Sayfty).

Here is a sampling of the offline events that took place around the world:

Bahamas: Hollaback! Bahamas partnered with the College of the Bahamas for a chalking event along a main walkway on campus. The chalking will span four days, with an all-school break with artists on hand to help with the chalking on April 14.

Egypt: HarassMap did awareness-raising actions at Mansoura University in Mansoura governorate

Guatemala: OCAC Guatemala launched a pilot street harassment mapping project, an interview with Congresswoman Sandra Moran, and a social media campaign.

India: Safecity shared the following: After a series of discussions and campaign activities, seen here are Anjali and Sahil of Sanjay Camp who have come together with other girls and boys of their neighborhood to paint a mural on equal access to public spaces and opportunities. Girls spoke of their restricted choices and options when they step out of their houses and boys spoke of how that wasn’t a concern until they heard the girls talk about it. They are looking to change this together. This mural is part of their efforts for the ongoing International anti street harassment week, we are excited to see the mural they’ll end up painting!

The Philippines: Game Changers, a group of Communication Research students from University of the Philippines (UP Diliman), supported the Safe Cities Metro Manila Programme in the celebration of International Anti-Street Harassment Week with their original Photowalk posters in universities. ‪#‎EndSH‬ ‪#‎freefromfear‬.

4.11.16 Safe Cities Metro Manila Programme

4.11.16 Safe Cities Metro Manila Programme with Game Changers, a group of Communication Research students from University of the Philippines 3

4.11.16 Safe Cities Metro Manila Programme with Game Changers, a group of Communication Research students from University of the Philippines 2

Iowa: End Street Harassment – Iowa City held a “Not in My Community: Music to Destroy Rape Culture!” event with local artists and organizations tabling with relevant information. [7-11 p.m., Public Space One] | Read about it in the Daily Iowan.

Illinois: CHLH 340 students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign did tabling on the campus quad to discuss sexual assault portrayal in the media [11 a.m. – 3 p.m.]

There were a lot of virtual actions, campaigns and events too, including the launch of several Latin American OCAC organizations’ joint campaign #NoEsMiCultura — street harassment is not my culture. Join in across the week.

ActionAid South Africa:

Safecity India is asking “What would your safe city look like?”

"These amazing girls we're working with in Indira Nagar, Jogeshwari (E) in partnership with Vacha Charitable Trust say, their safe city will have freedom for girls." — “These amazing girls we’re working with in Indira Nagar, Jogeshwari (E) in partnership with Vacha Charitable Trust say, their safe city will have freedom for girls.”

Check out this video made for Anti-Street Harassment Week in Cheltenham, UK, under the hashtag #cheltbitesback (written and voiced by Joy-Amy Wigman).

Remember to tag us in the photos of your actions with #EndSH or @StopStHarassmnt (on twitter and instagram) and if you have a pup, take their photo and tag them for #HoundsAgainstHarassment!

Day 1: International Anti-Street Harassment Week

April 10, 2016 By HKearl

It’s here!!

Groups and organizations worldwide take action in their communities year-round to address street harassment, but there is strength in numbers. That’s why Stop Street Harassment creates space for them each spring to join forces and take action in unity, in solidarity, during Meet Us on the Street: International Anti-Street Harassment Week.

It starts TODAY.

From April 10 to 16, groups in more than 30 countries will take part. People will hold rallies and marches, create public art, organize workshops and speak-outs, and share their stories.

Read how groups in six countries will participate and why.

Read a guest blog post about actions in Afghanistan!

Anyone, anywhere can participate in the week, including by sharing your stories and/or images online, writing sidewalk chalk messages, hanging up Stop Telling Women to Smile posters, snapping photos of your dog/s for #HoundsAgainstHarassment and joining the Global Tweetathon on April 12 (use #EndSH in your tweets).

Here are 10 ideas for how an individual, anywhere in the world, can participate.

I invite you to Meet Us on the Street. It is so empowering to join with thousands of people in taking a stand. No action is too small to make a difference.

Watch the street harassment 101 video our board members Erin McKelle and Manuel Abril created.

Here are some of the events that happened today:

Argentina: The Women’s Movement Mumalá (Women of the Latin American Matria) conducted an awareness campaign in the Plaza Mitre about street harassment.

Canada: Women in Cities International, in partnership with Lucie Pagès, and Noémie Bourbonnais, hosted a vox pop on the street. They went into the streets of Montreal and asked people questions regarding street harassment and did sidewalk chalking.

France: STOP Harcèlement de rue coordinated a campaign across France, including sidewalk chalking [April 10, Lyon, Paris , Nantes, Marseille , Montpellier, Toulouse — See specific times and meeting places here.]

Egypt: HarassMap volunteers talked about how to stop sexual harassment in public spaces in Korba and Cairo.

India: Safecity did sidewalk chalking in Mumbai (see photos).

Nepal: Youth Advocacy Nepal had a sign-making party (See photos).

Maryland: FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture hosted Not Alone Baltimore. The Monument Quilt blanketed two blocks of North Avenue between Howard and Charles Street with 1500 stories from survivors of sexual and domestic violence and messages of support from their communities. The day-long event included readings, discussions, workshops and performances. [April 10, 12 -5 p.m.]

South Carolina: In Columbia, Alright, Rebel and local activists distributed flyers and post signs during the monthly Second Sunday events around Marion Square and King Street [April 10]

4.10.16 Alright, Rebel - South Carolina 2

4.10.16 Alright, Rebel - South Carolina 7

4.10.16 Alright, Rebel - South Carolina 1

Washington, DC: Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS) hosted chalking to reclaim the streets. [April 10, 1:30-3:30 p.m., pick one of three locations: 1) 14th & U St NW; 2) Anacostia Metro Stop in SE; 3) H & 8th St NE]

Men Grope Sled Dog Musher in Alaska During a Competition

April 9, 2016 By HKearl

Via CBS News:

“Authorities in Alaska were investigating after a female competitor in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race said two men on snowmobiles groped her as her mushing team passed by.

Alaska State Troopers were looking into the March 13 incident as harassment for now, James Lester said Monday. The 27-year-old rookie musher reported the groping at the checkpoint in the village of Nulato, almost 350 miles from the Nome finish line….The woman went on to complete the 1,000-mile race,”

Unreal. What the hell. I’m so sorry this happened to her. How upsetting.

As an aside (because I was like, why isn’t this assault?), in Alaska, groping falls under “Harassment in the First and Second Degree” and it comes with up to a $10,000 fine.

NPR Looks at Street Harassment Globally and Locally

April 9, 2016 By HKearl

What’s street harassment like around the world?

This was a question that Malaka Gharib at NPR wanted to have answered after she experienced street harassment first-hand in Egypt and the USA. I connected her to women I’d worked with, from Afghanistan to Japan, from Nepal to South Africa, and they shared their stories with her. She also kindly interviewed me and gave a shoutout to International Anti-Street Harassment Week.

The article went online on Wednesday. Here’s one story example:

India: “A growing trend is pictures being taken on mobile phones”

Women and girls are constantly stared at, groped in crowded spaces and on public transportation, catcalled, whistled and commented on regularly. A growing trend is pictures being taken on mobile phones without permission by strangers. Women and girls, through experience, either avoid certain areas, do not stay out late, limit their movements in public or wear loose clothing.

Public spaces should be safe and accessible to all, especially women and girls. It is crucial and essential if we want them to fully participate in society and the economy. If not, then choices and movements are restricted — and that in turn has a negative impact on society.

ElsaMarie D’Silva, 42, founder and managing director of Safecity

The article led to over 1000 comments to the article, on Facebook, on Twitter, and today, there’s a follow-up story highlighting some of the stories shared, from Canada to Italy to Switzerland. For example:

Switzerland: “He pushed me up against a wall”

I was 14 in Endingen, Switzerland. I was walking to school when a man working on street construction grabbed me. His friends and colleagues immediately surrounded us, laughing. He pushed me up against a wall, felt me up and tried to pin me for a kiss. The men pressed closer. I got away. I told people. I told my parents. Nobody did anything. It was kind of funny, they said, and boys will be boys. — Stephanie Nakhleh via Facebook

The amazing Noorjahan Akbar, founder of Free Women Writers, and I joined Malaka and other NPR staff in studios on Wednesday to create a Snapchat video too.

I’m so grateful to Malaka and her team for providing space for women’s stories on the huge and respected platform of NPR.

Related, the Kojo Nnamdi Show had a segment on street harassment on Monday, featuring Jessica Raven Executive Director, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, Arthur Espinoza, Jr. Executive Director, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Brianne Nadeau Member, D.C. Council (D-Ward 1). YES!!!

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