Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Man, y’all wear the heck out of those shorts”

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Summertime is when I can wear my favorite crop top with high waisted shorts and stay cool in the hot air. It’s when I can go out and grab a bite with my sisters and have a good time.

My sisters and I like to go to BDubs for lunch a lot of times. Last summer we were there for lunch. My older sister got a text from her friend and had to pick her up real quick. She left her card with me so I could pay. My little sister and I sat in the booth for about 20 minutes after paying, and decided to sit outside on the bench in the shade by the parking lot.

While walking out, a man who looked in his late 50s opened the door for us. I said “Thank you,” and he didn’t say “You’re welcome,” he said, “Man, y’all wear the heck out of those shorts. Y’all sisters?” And he kept looking at us up and down. I felt so uncomfortable and wanted my older sister to drive right up after that. Oh, and did I mention how old my little sister was? FOURTEEN. We went around to the bench around the corner to where he didn’t see us and sat down. I wanted to immediately take off my makeup and get in my sweats after that.

– KT

Location: 6801 Dixie Hwy Louisville, KY 40258

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

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Video: Push My Button

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Here’s a new video about street harassment by Heather Arnett, her latest in a series called the Cat Call Choir.  She writes that the series is “a somewhat sardonic, slightly scornful, but non-violent, songful response to street harassment.”

Push My Button from Heather Arnett on Vimeo.

“In this week’s Cat Call Choir experiment we added the Staples Easy Button with “sing” written on it to encourage people to stick around to listen for a verse and perhaps engage in a conversation about street harassment.

What do you think? Should we just sing to people so there’s no option to get away from unwanted attention very much like when women are harassed on the streets, in parks, on trains and at work? Or is there value in encouraging the conversation?”

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New Efforts in Finland, India, and New Zealand

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Here are three new efforts about street harassment, one led by Finnish police and two others led by students in India and New Zealand.

Finland (via Sputnik News, “Finnish Cops Can Now Write Tickets for Sexual Harassment”):

Image via HBL
Image via HBL

“According to Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper, police in Finland have recently been given the power to issue fines for perceived sexual harassment.

‘We’ve attempted to find a quick solution to the problem. The existing threshold for sexual harassment complaints is pretty high, but perhaps we’ll be able to decrease it if police will be able to act immediately,’ Helsinki police chief Lasse Aapio said.

A patrol officer doesn’t require any special permission other than the victim’s statement in order to fine a suspect, as sexual harassment is usually pretty obvious, he added.

‘The fines would also help to more easily identify perpetrators, which can sometimes be quite problematic if a crime was reported too late. A police officer issuing a fine may also immediately suggest a victim to officially press charges,’ Aapio pointed out.”

India (via the Time of India, “Project by school kids focuses on issues of equality”):

“The classroom is dark. Plastic hands and broken bottles protruding from large stands brush your body as you walk down a winding path covered with yoga mats. Expressionless faces stuck on the mats stare at you while the cat-calling adds to the discomfort. It is similar to the harassment a woman faces when she walks through a dimly lit street. And that’s the whole aim of the exercise. For the walk through the maze ends with a short, informative slide presentation on street harassment.

The maze and presentation were part of a creative project done by class 7 and 8 students of Kids Central, Kotturpuram, to create awareness among parents about street harassment by making them ‘encounter’ it as they walked through the maze.”

New Zealand (via the New Zealand Herald, “Reign of abuse on Otago streets”):

‘Unacceptable and insidious” harassment by Dunedin students has hit breaking point and the University of Otago needs to take action, residents say.

Otago bioethics PhD candidate Emma Tumilty co-signed a letter with 10 other people who live and work in the student precinct, calling on vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne to act…

Former Otago student Jessie-Lee Robertson said she had suffered verbal abuse – including an incident last week. She was in her car with her dog on Albany St when a van load of young people pulled up next to her. “[They] opened the sliding door of their van and said, ‘If that dog wasn’t in your car, I’d rape you’.”

The most shocking part, she said, was that it happened while she was in her car. She had already begun avoiding the main streets of “studentville” for fear of abuse, but did not expect it on the road.

Mikayla Cahill, a third-year student, had also been harassed in the student quarter several times, most recently last week, Orientation Week.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis said there was a consistent stream of “complaints about criminal behaviour of a sexual nature” in Dunedin, and a “small spike” of those kinds of complaints during Orientation Week.

Police took the complaints seriously, especially after learning “some very poignant lessons about sexual violence”…

Professor Hayne acknowledged the importance of educating students about harassment. She responded to Mrs Tumilty, saying she had “no tolerance whatsoever for this kind of behaviour”.

The university, she wrote, was working on developing “two educational programmes for Otago students” – one for students in residential colleges that would begin next semester, and another to start next year as part of the Orientation education programme.”

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USA: Five Ways People are Fighting Street Harassment

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Julia Tofan, Connecticut, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

Street harassment is terrifying. It can start with catcalling and stalking, and can quickly escalate to threats and violence if a victim shows anything but submission and compliance. It can be so pervasive in daily life that it’s expected. It’s not a question of whether it will happen, but when and where. It’s an issue people around the world share and fight against. Here’s a list of recent initiatives and how they’re working.

  1. Social Media: Street harassment campaigns and organizations quickly immerse social media with hashtags and headlines. Social media has the power to educate the masses, show victims of street harassment that they are supported, and change the status quo of accepted societal behavior, like catcalling. One example is Brazil’s Carnival Campaign, advocating for #CarnivalSemAssedio, or #CarnivalWithoutHarassment. Social media doesn’t offer victims legal protection or end street harassment, but it makes a difference.
  2. Bringing Attention in the Moment: Who would’ve thought punk music and confetti could be used to fight street harassment? That’s exactly what women in Mexico City, one of the most dangerous places in the world for women according to the UN, are doing. The ladies of Las Hijas de Violencia, or Daughters of Violence, shoot confetti and play loud punk after an incident of street harassment. It’s dangerous and can escalate the situation if the street harasser feels attacked or shamed, but the women report that it helps them move on and take control of the situation.
  3. Scooter Gangs: Women in Cairo are frequently victims of street harassment, but scooters are providing women with a safer means of transportation than public transportation or walking. Girls on Wheels has recruited more than 300 girls, taught many girls how to scooter, and gained the support of girls’ families. It doesn’t get to the root of street harassment and stop perpetrators, but it empowers girls and improves safety, and that’s a step forward.
  4. Women only Transportation: Public transportation is a common location of street harassment, and it’s also a necessity for getting to and from different places. Women-only transportation implies all men are dangerous, places the onus on women to stay safe, and isn’t perfectly enforced, which allows males to occasionally enter the buses with the intention to harass women. Also, it isn’t always available. However, it can temporarily improve safety conditions for women traveling using public transportation, as Mexico is trying to accomplish with a new program.
  5. Apps: Street harassment is vastly under reported. Whether it’s fear, lack of support and trust, or shame, victims oftentimes don’t report street harassment incidents. Apps like Ec Shlire, an app designed by a Kosovo woman, are fighting that by giving women a community specifically for reporting street harassment and putting the incident on the map. It’s bringing the attention to light and giving victims a sense of solidarity, but it doesn’t report incidents to the police and enable police involvement.

People have had controversial reactions to the various programs and campaigns fighting street harassment. Every program and campaign has drawbacks, but something is being done, and along with the drawbacks, there are benefits. Whether programs and campaigns blame victims, solve the root of the problem, take street harassment seriously, and keep women safe are important questions to keep on asking, but recognizing the positive impact different projects are showing is also vital.

Julia is a student in a rural town in Connecticut. She writes for Givology, a nonprofit dedicated to improving access to education, and Dreams That Could Be, an organization telling the stories of students facing great challenges but persevering in their education. Read her blog posts on Givology and Dreams That Could Be and follow her on Twitter @Julia_Tofan!

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End of February 2016 News Highlights

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Here are some of the recent news stories that caught my attention (excluding ones I’ve already blogged about):

Manchester Evening News, “Women lead Reclaim The Night march through Manchester to highlight sexual violence.”

“University of Manchester Students’ Union women’s officer, Jess Lishak, said the Reclaim march will draw attention to street harassment and sexual violence against women while creating an empowering event for women.

She said: “Reclaim is about taking to the streets without the fear of being harassed and abused.

“The number of people talking about this has definitely increased. We are putting the message out there that we are against victim blaming, sexual violence and street harassment and we will support anyone affected by it.”

The first coordinated Reclaim the Night marches started in 1977 when torch lit marches were held in Leeds, York, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Brighton and London.”

GOOD, “Las Hijas de Violencia, a Female Punk Group, Battles Catcalls With Confetti“

“Las Hijas de Violencia (Daughters of Violence) is an all-female punk group in Mexico City that is fighting street harassment through performance. “When we are walking down the street and someone harasses us in any way,” says member Ana Karen in a video from AJ+, “we run after the person, grab our confetti guns, shoot once, we turn on the speakers and sing ‘Sexista Punk’”—their song about weathering catcalls. 

“What you’ve just done to me is called harassment/If you do this to me this way, I will respond,” the lyrics go.

“We must respond,” says member Ana Beatriz. “We can encourage more women to do the same.”

“We recommend that you have fun with it, so you aren’t left feeling violated from what happened,” Ana Karen adds.“


The Tribune India, “Women commuters ‘violated’ by highway goons“

“Vehicles with women passengers were reportedly stopped on the national highway near Murthal in the wee hours of Monday morning, they were dragged out into the nearby fields and raped. Though the police dismissed the incident as rumour, eyewitnesses said at least 10 women were sexually assaulted. Even worse, the victims and their families were reportedly advised by the district officials not to report the matter to anyone “for the sake of their honour”. [Unbelievably horrible!!!!]

NPR, “Teasing A Girl At A Pakistani Park Could Get You Whacked With A Stick“

“Mohammed Sayed is not one of those people who particularly relish the prospect of hitting young men on the butt with a big stick.

But he is certainly prepared to do so to defend the girls and women who frequent the neatly groomed, palm-dotted municipal park in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala where he works as a guard.

The park was designed as a place for relaxation and family recreation (it even includes some ramshackle carnival rides). But it had turned into a prowling ground for young men.

So city authorities have asked a team of guards — including Sayed, 25 — to patrol the park and stamp out “Eve-teasing” — a South Asian euphemism for the sexual harassment of women by men.”

Medium.com, “Why Women Smile at Men Who Sexually Harass Us“

“The truth is, we don’t have the luxury to ignore harassment. We engage, we’re kind, because that is what keeps us safe.

And now it’s time for everyone to engage.

If you’re tired of hearing about women being harassed, tired of us sharing our stories about it, maybe that’s because you’ve been ignoring it, and we don’t believe that you should have that luxury anymore, either.”

Guardian, “Portugal has made street harassment a crime, why hasn’t the UK?”

“Deciding that legislation may not be the most effective way forward shouldn’t mean shrugging our shoulders and accepting that the problem will inevitably continue. Ironically, one preventative measure that could be more effective than new legislation would be the discussion of such issues, and of young people’s right to bodily autonomy, in compulsory school sex-and-relationships classes – a measure the UK government recently rejected, reportedly in the face of strong objections from female members of the cabinet.

Even if new legislation is not the answer, this is an issue on which our political leaders have an opportunity to impact societal norms simply by raising awareness of laws that are already in existence and ensuring they are taken seriously.”

New York Times, “Street ‘Compliments‘”

“Occasionally, a guy in the street signals that he needs my attention. So I take off my earphones to hear what he has to say. He could be looking for directions in the big city. But usually, it’s, “Excuse me, I just have to tell you how attractive you are.” This annoys me, as if my purpose in life is to be pretty. I get that no one likes rejection. So “Go away” is not a polite response. But “Thank you” sends the wrong message. I am not thankful. These comments ruin my groove. Thoughts? – ALYSSA, SAN FRANCISCO

At first (male) blush, I thought: “God! I wish someone told me I was hot.” But I quickly came to my senses. Men and women are different, especially when it comes to other people trying to control our bodies. Case in point: These men feel entitled to stop you in the street for the sole purpose of rendering judgment on yours. And when you factor in the annoyance of taking out your earbuds, and interrupting Joni Mitchell’s “In France They Kiss on Main Street,” I came close to endorsing your “Go away” response.

Two things stopped me. Strangers in the street can be dangerous, particularly to women. And I don’t want anyone getting hurt on my watch. I would rather you keep your earbuds in and pretend you don’t notice these attempts to flag you down than get into tussles with strangers over male privilege. But if you are determined to engage, borrow the terrific sentiment of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Dude, it’s 2016!”

Many readers will see no harm in a compliment, particularly from a guy who is sincere. But he is not complimenting anything Alyssa has made (her new app) or even anything she’s chosen (her super-cute bootees). He is reducing a whole person — and rarely a man — to her looks. And if a compliment makes you feel bad, how good can it be?”

New York Times, “Renewed Efforts to Stop Subway Sex Crimes“

“Opportunistic sex crimes aboard subways are not new, nor are they news to many women. Some have been grabbed or leered at by a man who is masturbating. Many others have heard a story from a friend who felt an uncomfortable touch but was unsure if she should say something.

But cellphone cameras and social media have given women tools to fight back and provided the police a way to identify some offenders. Last year, in an effort to encourage more victims to come forward, the police began training more female officers to work the cases.

The police now send out a steady stream of alerts about such crimes using photos from victims’ phones to try to identify suspects. One recent Twitter post shared a photo of a man suspected of grabbing a 27-year-old woman’s buttocks on a No. 7 train in Queens this month. Two days earlier, the police posted a photo of a man who they say exposed himself to women on two trains at Grand Central Station.

Reported sex crimes on the subways rose 19 percent last year, to 738 from 620 in 2014. Many of those crimes were forcible touching and public lewdness, the offenses most commonly charged in connection with the sort of sexual misconduct that Detective Cross and his colleagues were on the lookout for that morning on the Lexington Avenue line.

Joseph Fox, the chief of the Transit Bureau, said he believed the increase in reported sex crimes was a result of more women coming forward. He expects the number of reports will keep rising as the police continue to talk about the problem.”

YES! Magazine, “Feminist Scooter Gangs Shut Down Street Harassment“

“In 2011, alongside the Arab Spring and massive citizen protests in Tahrir Square, Egypt’s pervasive problem with violence against women was exposed to the world. Reports of horrifying mob attacks against protesting women, videos exposing the oppressive atmosphere of harassment, and numerous articles by Egyptian women revealing the extent of the problem led the Thomas Reuters Foundation to name Egypt the worst country in the Arab world for women.

For episode seven of A Woman’s Place, Kassidy Brown and Allison Rapson flew to Cairo to find out what’s being done to end gender-based violence in Egypt. From the creators of the viral video Creepers on a Bridge who used a hidden camera to document street harassment, to the volunteers at HarassMap who map out incidents of sexual harassment and assault across the country, to the organizers of Girls Go Wheels who whip past potential harassers on their scooters, Brown and Rapson discovered Egyptian women are finding creative ways to empower each other and push for change.

“The energy is hard to describe, but it’s heavy,” said Brown. “It’s the energy from the men on the street, who are just everyday citizens. It’s that the type of stares you’re receiving are so threatening.”

“Think of a time when you’ve been out walking alone, and suddenly the energy around you changes,” Rapson said, “And you can’t necessarily explain why that is, but you don’t feel safe and you want to rush home. That’s what Cairo feels like.”

Medium.com, “To Men I Love about Men who Scare Me“

“Decent male humans, this is not your fault, but it also does not have nothing to do with you. If a woman is frosty or standoffish or doesn’t laugh at your joke, consider the notion that maybe she is not an uptight, humorless bitch, but rather has had experiences that are outside your realm of understanding, and have adversely colored her perception of the world. Consider that while you’re just joking around, a woman might actually be doing some quick mental math to see if she’s going to have to hide in a fucking bathroom stall and call someone to come help her, like I did three days ago.

Please adjust your mindset and your words accordingly.”

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