SSHIntern, Author at Stop Street Harassment

SSH founder Holly Kearl is giving a street harassment presentation at Montgomery College Takoma Park Campus on Wednesday, 11 a.m., that is open to the public . 7600 Takoma Ave, Takoma Park, MD

Reminders:

* If your group, organization, or campus plans to participate in International Anti-Street Harassment Week, please contact Holly (hkearl @ stopstreetharassment.org) and we can add you to the list of participating co-sponsors.

* Do you know your legal rights? If you live in the U.S., check out our Know Your Rights Toolkit with state-by-state information about what forms of street harassment you can report.

* We’re still collecting stories about the street harassment of LGBQTAI people for a new web section — please consider sharing yours, if relevant!

10 Tweets from the Week:

* @mujer_cita_MIA: All week enjoyed harassment-freedom walking in the streets w my brother. He left today so the #streetharassment is back in full swing.

* @latentappy: Wud u want to see ur mom, sister, daughter harassed on the street, shamed for her appearance or assaulted & then blamed for it? #VAW #EndSH

* @Dontharassmebro: If I’m rushing to get to work before my 9 AM meeting, don’t stop me to tell me you want to f*ck. #streetharassment

* @taliahagerty: @StopStHarassmnt it’s come to my attention that we need to investigate Chicago Transit Authority’s #streetharassment policy

* @divinitymatovu: Feeling terrific after a 1 mile lunchtime jog. Sidenote: im so over the #streetharassment by men honking/cat-calling. Will it ever end?

* @alesiavsworld: The way men expect women to appreciate catcalls is disgusting to me…

* @Kathrynlinhardt: Women are catcalled, stared at, honked at and followed. We deserve the right to feel afraid and not be made to feel silly about it.

* @mskaytiwhite: Getting catcalled makes me feel soooooo good about myself!! Said no girl ever.

* @TheEmilyBee: Just got catcalled at while wearing spandex in Costco, men are absolutely disgusting.

* @IamNirbhaya: It’s every woman’s right to feel safe on the streets. Stop #streetharassment! #VAW

Egyptian Women Fight Back

February 9, 2014 By SSHIntern

Women around the globe are all-too-familiar with the grave threat of sexual harassment. However, Egyptian women have recently been experiencing an astonishingly high frequency of sexual harassment. According to a newly-released Public Service Announcement, at least 90% of Egyptian women experience sexual harassment. A 2013 UN report estimates that the number could be as high as 99.3%. Let those numbers sink in for a moment. Keep in mind that sexual assault is a notoriously under reported crime. It is safe to believe that even those shocking numbers are being generous.

On the occasions when female victims make the choice to report the incident, they are often made to feel blamed or ashamed for their own attacks. Police general Adel Abdel Maqsoud Afifi told the New York Times, “Sometimes, a girl contributes 100 percent to her own raping when she puts herself in these conditions.”

While the government has stepped in to implement small measures to combat this sexual assault epidemic–such as training female officers how to sensitively approach victims and posting cameras to monitor harassment on the streets–the policies have been slow and ineffective.

Due to the continuing rise of gender-based violence, Egyptian women have been encouraged to take their safety into their own hands via martial arts training. Prominent self-defense campaigns, such as Aman and Inti Aqwa (You Are Stronger), have been launched with the hope that women will have both the physical ability and self-confidence to defend themselves against attackers. Kung fu trainer Tarek Hussein commented on the epidemic, “The assault on women is very high… It’s very important that women know how to defend themselves. And kung fu is a great vehicle to be able to do so.”

While the integration of such a fantastic anti-sexual harassment campaign is something to be celebrated, it is disheartening because the need for self-defense training is pivotal to women’s daily lives and safety. Many American women choose to enroll in self-defense courses “just in case” they find themselves in a horrific situation. Egyptian women cannot have the “just in case” mindset; instead they must be prepared for “when this attack happens to me.”

Rather than the Egyptian government launching serious efforts to teach men boundaries and respect, the solution is that women just have to learn how to defend themselves against the constant threat of sexual violence. This does not dissolve the sexual violence but merely delays it. In order for sexual violence to come to an end in Egypt, both men and women need to actively participate. A major shift in how women are viewed needs to take place within society.

However, until this shift within society takes place, my applauds go out to the women in Egypt that are strong enough to fight back against the continuing sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

Digest of Street Harassment News: Feb. 3, 2014

February 3, 2014 By SSHIntern

** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment **

Street Harassment Stories

Share your story! You can read street harassment stories on the Web at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

Bijoya in Bangladesh

Collective Action for Safe Spaces

Everyday Sexism

HarassMap in Egypt

The Hollaback Sites

Ramallah Street Watch in Palestine

Resist Harassment in Lebanon

Safe City India

Safe Streets in Yemen

Street Harassment in South Africa

Street Harassment In the News, on the Blogs:

* Times of India, “Bazarkhala tense after clash over eve-teasing”

* Jakarta Post, “Sexual harassment victims face hurdles in getting justice”

* RU Daily Targum, “Men’s street harassment makes women feel unsafe”

* India Today, “Bulandshahr class kills 3, injures four”

* Bangalore Mirror, “Malaysian girl accuses co-passenger of sexual harassment aboard flight”

* Indileak, “Three killed over an incident of eve-teasing”

* The Daily Star, “Sexual harassment not abating”

* Indian Express, “S-I refuses to register complaint of eve-teasing victim, shifted”

* Financial Express Bangladesh, “Youths jailed for eve teasing in Habiganj”

* Hollaback, “Week In Our Shoes: Keep Calm and Inspire On Edition”

* Times of India, “Eve-teasing accused yet to be arrested”

* Free Press Journal, “Guard attacked for opposing eve-teasers”

* Times of India, “Beware, eve-teasers, CCTV is guarding Karnatak University hotels“

Announcements:

New:

* If your group, organization, or campus plans to participate in International Anti-Street Harassment Week, please contact Holly (hkearl @ stopstreetharassment.org) and we can add you to the list of participating co-sponsors.

* Do you know your legal rights? If you live in the U.S., check out our Know Your Rights Toolkit with state-by-state information about what forms of street harassment you can report.

Reminders:

* We’re still collecting stories about the street harassment of LGBQTAI people for a new web section — please consider sharing yours, if relevant!

10 Tweets from the Week:

* @LeArtCorner: @raveenasays @StopStHarassmnt In London I always went out in baggy clothes so the harassment would be less (but it still happened).

* LogophilicMind: That unshakeable sense of vertigo when someone manages to ruin your sense of safety. #streetharassment #weneedcommunitycenters #urbanpoverty

* @mujer_cita_MIA: Miami sunshine returns after dismal grey week & so does compulsory #streetharassment

* @reveenasays: You can put a paper bag over your head and still get harassed about 10 times walking down Broadway. #streetharassment #notacompliment

* @SorayaLightyear: I don’t give a damn if your nephew thinks I’m cute I’m just trying to walk to work leave me alone… #streetharassment

* @lizbayer: I think that literally every creep in Baltimore was out roaming the streets during my run this evening #StreetHarassment #whyyyyyyy

* @MandingoRFC: What folks are not gonna do today is act like folks making this shit up. My sis has come home crying from street harassment.

* @halfdadhalfdog: Street harassment is very real. Sick of not being able to walk these streets without hearing “YO!!! CUTE ASS BOY!!!” This is 2014. Grow up.

* @renee_patrice: Nothing like some good ol street harassment to sober me up during my walk home

* @ladyfleur:@michaelcoyote If you’ve never experienced street harassment you have no idea how humiliating it feels, especially when you’re a teen.

We’re #NotBuyingIt This SuperBowl Sunday

February 1, 2014 By SSHIntern

Kendra Corbin. SSH Intern

This year’s Super Bowl XLVIII will air on Sunday, February 2 at 6:30 PM. Millions of viewers will lounge in front of their TVs with junk food and beer. Instead, I will be parked on my couch, rolling my eyes and making that, “ugh,” sound under my breath, awaiting the inevitable sexism that plagues Super Bowl commercials.

In the past, Super Bowl Sunday has been a breeding ground for sexist ads. Go Daddy notoriously receives backlash for its ill-fated attempts at making Internet domain names sexy. Take a look at last year’s cringe-worthy commercial. As a warning, it’s painfully awkward to watch. The slogan is, “When sexy meets smart, your small business scores.” Aside from being genuinely gross, this commercial implies that beautiful people, women in particular, cannot be smart and smart people cannot be beautiful.

In 2012, Teleflora released a steamy commercial with questionable implications. The flower company’s commercial features a beautiful woman slowly slipping into lingerie. She looks into the camera and seductively says, “Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that complicated. Give and you shall receive.” Get it? If you buy a woman flowers, you’ll automatically get laid. What an adorable message to send to millions of Super Bowl viewers.

Also in 2012, Fiat released a commercial that features a woman that catches a man gawking at her in the streets. At first she is angered, though her anger quickly turns into heated passion. The man then wakes up from his daydream just as the beautiful woman turns back into a car. This commercial is problematic because it objectifies women while simultaneously making light of street harassment. Leering at women in streets is not a sexy turn-on. It’s creepy.

Luckily, this year viewers can combat sexist commercials by using The Representation Project’s new #NotBuyingIt app. During the Super Bowl, viewers can publicly call out companies for their offensive advertising tactics. Although #NotBuyingIt has previously been available on Twitter, it is now easily accessible via the iPhone app. The goal is to spread the word about sexist advertisements, grab the attention of the offending companies, and spark a positive change within the media and society.

Stop Street Harassment’s similar operation Campaign Against Companies calls out offensive ads that specifically trivialize street harassment. Along with using the #NotBuyingIt app, we encourage viewers to submit offensive ads related to street harassment, as well. In the past, Stop Street Harassment and supporters have been able to convince several companies to refine their distasteful advertisements.

During the game, I do not want to see any scantily clad women used as a marketing ploy. I do not want to see women objectified for profit. I do not want to see female actresses pretending to be strippers. The hypersexual Super Bowl commercials say a great deal about how the public views real life women. The media has the influential power to make us view women as sexualized objects. This alarming mindset can have a tremendous impact on the amount of street harassment that real life women experience.

This Sunday, take note of the messages that companies are sending to their consumers. If you spot sexism in a commercial and it offends you, tell someone about it! #NotBuyingIt is a great way to start spreading the word. If you plan on traveling to Super Bowl parties, stay safe.

Kendra Corbin is senior at Shenandoah University. She is majoring in Mass Communications and minoring in Women’s Studies.

Digest of Street Harassment News: Jan. 27, 2014

January 27, 2014 By SSHIntern

** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment **

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read street harassment stories on the Web at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

Bijoya in Bangladesh

Collective Action for Safe Spaces

Everyday Sexism

HarassMap in Egypt

The Hollaback Sites

Ramallah Street Watch in Palestine

Resist Harassment in Lebanon

Safe City India

Safe Streets in Yemen

Street Harassment in South Africa

Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

* Firstpost, “Eve-teasing, molestation of NE women common in metros: Survey”

* Daily Illini, “Catcalling not synonymous with flattery”

* Pakistan Daily Times, “Man killed for stopping youth from eve-teasing”

* SBM, “The Introvert Struggle, Street Harassment, and Where the Good Guys Are”

* The Concordian, “Cat got your tongue: Responding to street harassment”

* Collective Action for Safe Spaces, “5,000: The Number of Dollars We Need to Raise to Paint An Anti-Street Harassment Mural in DC”

* HollabackMUMBAI, “Reclaim The Streets, Reclaim Your Right, Demand The #RightRepublic”

* The McGill Daily, “Catcalls and the violence behind them”

* Creative Boom, “City of Brotherly Loves takes a stand against men who catcall”

* BuzzFeed, “8 Reasons A Catcall is Not A Compliment”

* XO Jane, “Street Harassment“

Announcements:

Reminders:

* We’re collecting stories about the street harassment of LGBQTAI people for a new web section — please consider sharing yours, if relevant!

* Meet SSH’s newest board member, Patrick Ryne McNeil, who specializes in the street harassment of gay and bisexual men.

* SSH’s first Blog Correspondents cohort of 2014 launched this month. They will write monthly articles through April.

10 Tweets from the Week:

* @juliemastrine Getting followed on my walk home. Told him “I don’t want to talk” & “Stop harassing me.” Seems to be gone but now I’m spooked 🙁 #endSH

* @msbrandiebrown: @britnidlc Today a man described my pregnant appearance as “juicy and fresh.” *gags* #endSH

* @Libitina2 People talking about street harassment and how it’s the worst in the summer. Yet I’ve gotten harassed every day this week. (1/?)

* @JAMyerson: @CapobiaNB Good rule: if you are worried your flirtation might be harassment, don’t do it.

* @kay_fil “No Scrubs” is the best anti –#streetharassment anthem of all time – only scrubs think it’s fly to holla at girls from cars so stop doing it

* @citygirldc Please explain 2 me why a dude would roll down his car window in the cold just 2 demand I change my facial expression. #streetharassment

* @Dontharassmebro Dude grabs my arm when I walk by and hisses “hey baby. that dressss…” In what universe is that okay? #streetharassment #dontharassmebro

* @kerrydiekmann I need #feminism bc when someone warned me about the sidewalks being icy on my walk home, I 1st assumed SH @StopSTHarassmnt @SafeSpacesDC

* @aslibharat Raise your voice against eve teasing. Be a man not evil. #eveteasing

*@juliemastrine: @dana_hoyes Not getting harassed/groped/sexualized etc on the street *is* a basic human right. #streetharassment

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