Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“If having self-respect makes me a bitch, then hell yes I am”

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My own neighbor harassed me at the beginning of my run today. He felt entitled to yell to me how I looked, like I was in good shape. So for the next hour I hypothesized all of the different responses I wish I’d given him. My favorite being me telling him to stfu, stop objectifying me, and then when he called me a bitch for that, me telling him that if having self-respect makes me a bitch, then hell yes I am.

There was also one that involved me running with a tranquilizer gun, but I figured I’d probably end up shooting myself in the leg, so I let that one go. Made for a good laugh. F*** him though. #everytimeirun #stopstreetharassment

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

By being a stronger, more close-knit community. If we were more in touch with each other, I’d hope that we’d have more respect for one another.

– Dani

Location: Columbus, OH

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

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“Have you ever felt the panic of a car full of men reversing towards you?”

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I was leaving a screening of “Out in the Night,” which is amazing and everyone should see it. We were even lucky to have the women on a panel for a Q&A. I was so moved.

As I was leaving and waiting on the corner for my ride a car full of boys pulled up and called me ʺbeautifulʺ etc etc (everyone on SSH can imagine what they said). For context, I am a teacher at this university and they could have easily been my students. I let them know I wasn’t interested and told them to go on their way. They did, briefly, then they stopped their car and went in reverse to return and harass me. Have you ever felt the panic of a car full of men reversing towards you? It wasn’t the first time for me but that doesn’t mean it isn’t terrifying.

This time I played along by asking if they were students. They said they were so I said ʺOk great. I’m a teacher here and I’ll be sure to remember your face. I’m sure I’ll grade your paper someday.ʺ They weren’t impressed. Called me an ugly cunt, bitch, etc. Drove away.

They circled back a third time and I hid. I hid because they were escalating and I didn’t know what they were going to do. I had just been inspired by “Out in the Night.” Maybe I would have hurt them.

I kinda wish I did.

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

Defend self defense. Street harassment is a promise of physical violence (sometimes literally, sometimes implied). We need a protected right to defend ourselves physically.

– Whitney

Location: Campus

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“Then made lewd comments about my body”

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Walking dog on street near my house. Came in to contact with three older men. One said I can tell your dog isn’t friendly but you look sweet. Told them not to come any closer that the dog will bite (he wouldn’t have). They stopped approaching me but then made lewd comments about my body. example: ʺdat ass tho.”

– Anonymous

Location: Louisville, KY

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“If we want to change then we can”

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I was born and raised in a society that we can call a “Mannish Society.” In Afghanistan in families and even in every part of our society, it is the man who speaks and decides to do as he wishes. The last words are being said by men not women. Afghanistan society is a male dominant society.

In such environment it is really really hard for women and girls to live normally. Among the numerous problems that females are confronting in Afghanistan, street harassment is more usual and steady steady and somehow it is being changed to a culture.

Why am I saying that street harassment is changing to a culture here in Afghanistan?

Because, majority of Afghans are illiterate and they believe and accept whatever the Mullas (some) say to them in Mosques. Mullahs allow men to engage in street harassment in some cases. Especially when a female walks in the streets with so-called inappropriate clothes, then according to their ideology men are allowed to say bad words to them and even physically harass or rape them. Why is doing this not a bad act? People and Mullahs would say because these girls or women are not practicing Islam and not wearing Hijab. This is the fact of our society!

When I was studying English, my classmate Maryam was very intelligent and beautiful. Because she was raised in Iran her clothes and style was a little different form other Afghan girls. I witnessed that many boys harassed her with bad words daily and some of them were my friends. All she could do was to remain silent because she did not want to make this issue bigger. But day by day this problem got serious and she lost her patience. She started arguing with those boys that were harassing her but she was alone, she failed. She left the class forever.

It hurt me a lot to see her in such condition. I tried many times to talk with my friends and stop them from harassing her but since I was younger than those boys, no one cared. I talked with our teacher to help me stop these acts, but he was not eager to help me as well.

After that incident whenever I see people harassing girls or women in streets and university I go to them and talk reasonably with them to stop them and explain to them that their act is wrong. I ask what if it happens to their sister or mother, what then?

Now it is the time for everyone to start vanishing this bad and shameful culture. Yes, if we want to change then we can. We can start it right now! As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” By using social media, TV and radio spots, adding the topic of not harassing females to school books and explaining the negative impacts of street harassment, we can bring changes.

– Shafi Bajauri

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

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“The car pulled a U-turn, which was terrifying”

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I was walking with my girl friend to another friend’s house at 3 a.m. along Red River Street. It was midsummer in Texas, so it was sweltering even that late, and we were prepared for the weather and the time of night with our tank tops and pajama bottoms (not that it matters). A lone car passed us and the driver honked at us, which I consider harassment. I responded with my middle fingers and to our mutual surprise, the car pulled a U-turn, which was terrifying. Instead of kidnapping us, they rolled down a window and pulled out a gun and began to shoot paint balls at us. They didn’t hit me, but they hit my friend a few times, and she had huge bruises where they hit her for days. At the end of the ordeal we were somehow left feeling like the stupid jerks of the situation which really puts the icing on the shitcake.

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

At the point in development when they start teaching kids in school to beware of strangers and generally keep themselves safe, they should also teach children not to become perpetrators of violence in attitude, speech, or action.

– Chunnuh

Location: Hancock Shopping Center in Austin, TX

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

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