Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“He sneered something derogatory at me”

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I was home from graduate school. One afternoon I went out for a jog around the neighborhood where I grew up. I turned the corner and saw a young guy on a bike. “Whatever,” I thought and kept running. Bike guy saw me and decided to hop his bike onto the narrow sidewalk, coming towards me. I was forced to move out of his way as he sneered something derogatory at me. I think it’s over but I lapped the block (because I know exactly how many laps are a mile), and I saw and heard him again. And again. And again. One time, he even beckoned me to run alongside him. I ignored him, of course. The last time, he rode really close to me and said something extra nasty and disgusting again. Fortunately I didn’t see him again after that.

Did I mention that more than half of the block I run around is the location of an elementary school?!

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

Educate everyone, especially kids, about how it’s not appropriate to harrass other people – they aren’t there for your pleasure or appreciation, they just want to do what they have to do and move on, enjoying life and being safe!

– Anonymous

Location: Leahy School, Lawrence, MA

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

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“I wish everyone could be treated equally”

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I am thirteen years old. I was cat-called for the first time today. I had heard about cat-calling happening before, in America and all that, but I didn’t think it would happen in Ireland, or to someone so young like me.

I was walking home from school. There was a girl in front of me who was about a year older than me and a large group of boys in front of me. No, this story is not where you think it is going. It was not the group of boys that cat called me. A man (who looked about 25) was getting into his car with his friend. Next, I see the window rolling down and the man says, “Hey, ladies.”

I was mortified but I ignored him and kept looking down. He was laughing as the car drove off. The girl in front of me seemed to be ignoring the man also. I saw the group of boys looking behind them multiple times, smiling as they did it. Even if I did look older, (which I don’t – I have a flat chest and backside, I’m average height and I don’t wear make-up during school days) I believe it is still completely unacceptable to be cat-called, no matter what you look like or how old you are. I wish everyone could be treated equally. It’s horrible that so many women and young girls like me have to face these situations.

– Anonymous

Location: Ireland

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

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“I breached socially constructed expectations because I was angry”

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My body, my temple!

It is very sad how street harassment is something I’m used to at this point, but this is definitely not something I would like to tolerate!

Whenever I go out for a walk, I either witness a random guy screaming out disgusting sexual comments or their phone number, whistling or gazing with hungry look, guys stopping their cars and offering a ride, or, even worse, grabbing a passing by girl’s buttock.

I saw it all, but I never felt able to do anything and that was angering me. One day, I was walking home from the gym, on the main road I always walked on. As I’m walking, four guys (who looked to be in their early 20s) were walking towards me. I was not worried for my safety as first of all, I was wearing modest sports clothes and I was walking down on of the main roads. However, I was mistaken.

The closer they were getting to me, the more they started to spread out to block the road. Not to provoke them, I moved very close to the roadside. However, it did not help. One of the guys grabbed my hand and pushed me towards him. My self-defense reaction emerged pretty much immediately. I hit the guy’s hand and he ran away from me while three of his friends headed towards me. The only thing I had handy was my to-go bottle filled with protein cocktail. I started to hit them with it. The lid of the bottle fell wide opened and we all were covered from head to toe in a protein cocktail.

Although it was one of the main streets no one stopped to help. Ironically, there were not even patrol cars. I was lucky when the guard of a nearby organization started to whistle. The guys got scared off and ran away.

I am confident the guys did not expect such a wild reaction from me because in our culture men do not expect women to stand up for themselves, to fight, or to shout. They expect us to be fragile, afraid and silent. They do not expect that girls can bring unwanted attention to their misdeeds. I breached socially constructed expectations because I was angry and would not stand to be grabbed as if I were someone’s property.

My body is my temple. No one has the right to touch me without my consent!

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

More police patrol cars. There should be alarm buttons to press so that police arrives to that spot.

– Dilber

Location: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

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“I’m amazed at how many men feel my work place is a speed dating site”

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It’s not “street harassment,” but I’m amazed at how many men feel my work place is a speed dating site. I’m a bank teller and men will tell me I’m really pretty, or ask me if I’m dating or if I want to grab a drink. My supervisor even asked me if I was dating someone because an important customer was interested in company after his wife died. My supervisor is a woman!

– EE

Location: My workplace

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

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