Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Sign Petition to TGI Friday’s!

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Last week, TGI Friday’s released an ad that trivializes street harassment. Collective Action for Safe Spaces and SSH teamed up with Care 2 to create a petition asking TGI Friday’s to pull it. Please sign!

The petition reads, in part:

“Many of us remember the viral video of a woman walking down the streets of NYC for 10 hours, only to be harassed over 100 times. This video quickly spread around the world, and led to discussions about how common and serious street harassment is and how much it limits women’s access to public spaces.

In TGI Friday’s latest ad, #AppCalling,the company used the same footage from the viral anti-street harassment video, but replaced the woman in the video with various appetizers, like a cheese stick. “Nobody likes a catcaller… But who can blame someone for #AppCalling,” the ad reads.

That’s right — TGI Friday’s is comparing the daily plight of women to to food, trivializing street harassment in the process. Even worse, the man who created the original anti-street harassment video says he sees nothing wrong with the ad, and allowed TGI Friday’s to use his footage.

Please sign the petition to tell TGI Friday’s — stop trivializing street harassment, and pull your ad!“

 

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Brazil: A New Femicide Law

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Juliana Guarany, Brazil, Blog Correspondent

Right after Women’s Day (March 8th), Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff enacted a law against Feminicide. Feminicide is when a woman is murdered out of discrimination — just because she is a woman. It is classified as a hate crime.

The feminicide qualification of a crime can add about one-third of the penalty to the given sentence. It is worse when the woman is pregnant or has just given birth, when she is younger than 14 years old or older than 65 years old. But why would Brazil specify a longer sentence for the murder of women over men?

Because of the sexism that exists in the country, of course.

Women are not the majority of people murdered in Brazil; just about 23 percent of all murders in Brazil have women as victims. The biggest group at risk for murder is young black men – and, of course, that is a racist problem to be addressed. But what scares us feminists the most about the murder of women is that 40 percent of them are killed at home. So, out of ten female victims, four are killed in their own house by people who were supposed to love them. That is why this law is important.

If it’s too hard to understand how insane it is to think that women are so unsafe at home, just think a bit about the macho culture that rules Brazil. Men are raised to be fearless creatures, ready to tackle anything that stands in the way of what they want: a job, for example, or a college degree, or a nice body… or a woman. Men pursue women as if they were prey. Women, on the other hand, just learn to behave as the prey and accept that. So when predator and prey get married, there is a huge confusion on whether the woman is another person or simply something the man possesses. Many believe that, yes, they are entitled to own that woman. And they demand, they disrespect, and they kill.

It is important to understand how laws are followed for women in a sexist country.

The main reason to sanction the feminicide law was to acknowledge the fact that women are being killed just by being women, out of an act of discrimination: a man decides that a woman is not playing by his rules and he kills her. But also, feminicide enhances the penalty because many of the killers have walked out of the courts with mild penalties because: “he acted passionately, out of love”, or “he won’t do it again, it was his wife, he regrets it”, or, the worst one: “she cheated on him, she had it coming”.

Brazilian law has now codified the crime of feminicide, making it harder for men to appeal to the sexist minds of the jury and judges. Let’s hope that this bias will one day be gone and the feminicide law can become obsolete.

Note: Last week, there was a talk on BBC World Radio about feminicide in Brazil and I participated in it. You can all listen to it via this link.

Juliana is a fellow from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and, together with Hamburg University, in Germany, is creating a digital campaign to connect all feminist initiatives around the globe. Read her blog Whistleblower and follow her on Twitter, @juguarany.

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The Bahamas: Rape is not Sex

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Alicia Wallace, Nassau, The Bahamas, Blog Correspondent

Image via http://profiles98.com/

The people of The Bahamas have recently come to terms with the fact that a new festival is being brought to the country. While it is the source of great debate, a Trinidad-inspired carnival will take place in May 2015 to the dismay of many loyal practitioners and fans of the Bahamian Junkanoo parade. In impassioned exchanges on the topic of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival – a name meant to appease Junkanooers – much of the focus is put on the women of The Bahamas and the costumes designed for them to wear.

The Bahamas Christian Council, as expected, made bold, sweeping statements about the festival, zeroing in on the “immodest costumes” and the sexual violence they would inspire. Dr. Ranford Patterson said, “We are of the view that the promotion of immodest costumes, such as those displayed for use in the upcoming Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, will not only promote promiscuity, but fornication, rape, incest, and other sins of the flesh as well.”

As Director of Hollaback! Bahamas, I have serious concerns about carnival, especially given the high rate of street harassment experienced here. Those concerns, however, do not outweigh or erase the right every woman has to participate in the festival, free of judgment, shame, and acts of sexual violence.

Dr. Ranford Patterson does not seem to have taken the time or council necessary to consider the dangers of his statement. He has made assumptions which are now, quite likely, born by many others who under his – and the Bahamas Christian Council’s – influence. It is unfortunate that people in positions of power rarely recognize the responsibility that accompanies influence.

The statement made on behalf of the Bahamas Christian Council is problematic on many levels. There is far too much to address at once, so let’s focus on the views on rape presented.

The statement suggests that rape is sex or, at the very least, is about sex. It is shocking and disappointing that sex and rape are still being confused. Far too often we see newspaper articles referring to statutory rape as “sex with a minor”. Far too often we see rape being called “unlawful sex”. It is unclear whether this is due to a fear of the word, or discomfort with the truth that lies within it.

The difference between sex and rape is clear. Sex requires consent while rape is a violation. Rape is about power and control – not sexual desire.

Dr. Ranford Patterson played the blame game in his statement. He suggested that victims are at fault, and perpetrators are helpless beings. He is completely misguided, perpetuating the myth that acts of sexual violence are caused by clothing, or lack thereof.

Rape has never been caused by physical environments, music, dancing, or costumes. The only common denominator in cases of rape is the rapist. It is, therefore, crystal clear, that the only entity guilty of rape is the rapist.

The Bahamas Christian Council’s statement is misleading as it suggests the blame for rape should rest with the victim based on the choices made by the victim. As a body with tremendous power and influence, it should recognize its responsibility and the necessity of making consultations and seeking the advice of experts before making public statements. The burden is now on civic organizations to repair the damage done by the Bahamas Christian Council. It is our duty to ensure that:

–       Sexual assault victims are not blamed

–       The distinction is made between sex and rape

–       Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is not used as a scapegoat for acts of sexual violence

–       The free will and ability to make decisions of perpetrators is recognized

–       Women have the rights to dress as they wish

–       Women have the right to participate in festivals without the threat of sexual assault

–       Women have the right to participate in festivals, free of the idea that they are “asking for it”

As Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival – scheduled for May – draws near, Hollaback! Bahamas will be active and vocal in the community. The Bahamian people must be educated on consent and body autonomy. We cannot allow organizations to spew ignorance, hatred, or unfounded claims under the guise of morality. Our people must have the freedom to dress, move, and participate in festivals as they see fit. No door should be shut on a woman because of her sex, and no perpetrator should slip into the shadows because the spotlight is trained on a woman’s costume. We will not be silent. As educated people with clear understanding of the issues at hand, we must not allow our voices to be drowned out by the less enlightened. As their voices rise, so shall ours, in greater than equal measure.

Alicia is a freelance writer and public educator in Nassau, Bahamas. You can connect with her on Twitter (@_AliciaAudrey and on her blog.

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USA: Attention Street Harassers

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Emily Gillingham, Washington, DC, USA, Blog Correspondent

Are you a street harasser? Are you someone who doesn’t think street harassment is a big deal? Are you interested in the topic of street harassment and want to learn more? Did someone you were arguing with on Twitter give you the link to this blog post? Welcome!

I compiled these lists as a helpful reference if you’re wondering where the people arguing with you on the street, in the office, or on Twitter are coming from. I also designed this post as a resource that can be linked to when some stranger on the Internet demands answers to arguments and questions about street harassment, because your time is more valuable than having to run through this all the time.

By no means are these lists exhaustive; for brevity, I designed them to hit the questions and arguments that I see and hear the most.

There are a lot of interesting and comprehensive resources and blog posts about street harassment on this website and elsewhere online. If you have questions beyond this list, I’d suggest browsing through them.

What Types of Things Are Street Harassment?

Stopstreetharassment.org sums it up well: “Gender-based street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent and is directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Street harassment includes unwanted whistling, leering, sexist, homophobic or transphobic slurs, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or destination after they’ve said no, sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, public masturbation, groping, sexual assault, and rape.”

Things That Strangers on the Street Do Not Owe You

* Eye contact
* A smile or other expression of your choosing
* An answer to your question or greeting
* Attention
* A polite response, or any response at all

Things That Don’t Excuse Street Harassment

* Concern that you won’t be able to find a romantic partner if you can’t street harass
* Your perception of or questions about the person’s gender, sex, gender expression, or sexual orientation
* Your desire to give a compliment
* What the person is wearing
* What time it is
* What part of town the person is walking in
* Whether you think the person is attractive or not
* Your perception of or questions about the person’s race, class, religion, disability, or nationality
* Whether or not the person is wearing a wedding ring
* Your opinion about the person you wish to harass
* What the person is doing
* Whether you think street harassment is a “big deal” or something that should make people uncomfortable or not
* Whether or not you are a “nice guy”

Why You Should Not Street Harass

* Street harassment makes lot of people uncomfortable and you don’t know who those people are.
* Many people who rebuff or ignore street harassers have been subjected to violence, even in the U.S.; the people you harass don’t know if you are someone who would do them harm or not.
* What you might think is friendly or a compliment may not be perceived that way by others.
* Street harassment forces many people to rearrange their daily routines around when and where they can feel safe.
* You should care about respecting the dignity of others.

Emily is a 3L at Michigan State University College of Law, and the president of her school’s chapter of LSRJ. Follow her on Twitter @emgillingham.

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Anti-Street Harassment Week is 4 Weeks Away!

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Over the past two weeks, a newly released study in Australia found that 87% of women have been street harassed, the Peruvian Congress passed a new law against street harassment, Chinese activists were detained for planning a protest about sexual harassment on their transit system (sign the petition!), and an Afghan woman held an 8 minute protest march in Kabul (and is now in hiding after facing death threats). Street harassment is a serious global issue.

From April 12 – 18, we are organizing the fifth annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week and already more than 110 groups in 30 countries have pledged to participate. The purpose of the week is to allow us to join together in solidarity and amplify each other’s voices and work so that the world listens.

Together we can let people affected by street harassment know it’s not their fault and they’re not alone. We can inform communities that this is a problem that we all need to care about and address. And we can demand changes. Thank you for being part of it.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

1. Tell Us What You’re Doing!
We want to know what you’re doing! Please either completethis form or e-mail Britnae with details, BPurdy@stopstreetharassment.org. This is important. It will help us direct individuals to the relevant event/s in their area. It will also help us gain more media attention for the week/issue overall if we can share specific interesting events that will be occurring. Thank you in advance for your help.

2. Ideas for Action
Do you still need ideas for what you can do? Here are several. We especially hope to see offline discussions involving diverse community members of all genders and backgrounds. It will take EVERYONE to truly create safer communities.But at minimum, any individual can participate through simple acts like telling their street harassment story, writing chalk messages, and sharing information online.

3. Tools
We have a large selection of shareable images and downloadable fliers on our website. Check them out and use them! They are available in a number of languages…but we’d love to have even more. Please email Britnae, BPurdy@stopstreetharassment.org if you are willing to translate a few sentences.

4. Write a Blog Post
If you’d like to write a blog post for Stop Street Harassment (or have an entry cross-posted from your blog) that would be great! It can be for the week itself, or you can advertise what you’ll be doing for the week and why (as Hollaback! Amsterdam just did). Just reach out to Britnae, BPurdy@stopstreetharassment.org with a short pitch about what the blog would cover and the preferred date or time range you’d like it published.

5. Tweet Chats
We are finalizing the daily tweet chats (info to come). If you are planning to host one but haven’t been in touch yet, please reach out so we can add it to the official list. And in general, please plan to use #EndSH for the chats as well as for any relevant street harassment tweets throughout the week.

6. Global Night of Action, April 17
As part of International Anti-Street Harassment Week, Stop Telling Women to Smile (STWTS) is organizing an international wheat pasting night on April 17th, 2015. Individuals and organizations around the world can download and print STWTS posters via stoptellingwomentosmile.com soon. The goal is that on April 18th, walls across the world will show the faces and words of women protesting street harassment.

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions, suggestions, or information!


Thank You,
Stop Street Harassment Board & Volunteers
Questions? Contact Holly: hkearl@stopstreetharassment.org

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