Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

2020 Anti-Street Harassment Week – Day 4

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Today was Day 4 of our virtual International Anti-Street Harassment Week and we’re now up to 26 countries represented!

  • Chats – There was one tweet chat today – @PintheCreep hosted one on “Street harassment and homelessness” with guest @IGHomelessness.
  • Webinar – Safetipin hosted a webinar, “Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Safe Cities for Women’s Movement.” It was moderated by Kathryn Travers from Women in Cities International with speakers Ana Falu from Women & Habitat Network, Kalpana Vswanath, of Safetipin and Jagori, and Carolyn Whitzman of the University of Ottawa
  • Media – There were articles about street harassment for the Week published on The Telegraph in the UK and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault in the US. I did a radio show interview for Nigeria Info FM Abuja.
  • New Study – The District of Columbia Office of Human Rights (OHR) released a report about street harassment in the city. Most individuals (69%) surveyed had experienced verbal street harassment in DC in the prior six months; 40% reported that they had experienced physical street harassment.
  • 1 Million Followers: Our Streets Now took over I_Weigh’s Instagram account’s Stories today to talk about street harassment! I_Weigh has 1 million followers!

There was tons more online activism that took place…visit the photo album and/or use #StopStreetHarassment on social media (especially Instagram) to see more.

 

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“It makes me feel disgusting and degraded”

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Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

Every day when I go out on walks near the downtown area, someone makes a comment out of their car window at me. They honk their horn or yell out something about my body, like the fact that I’m out there is an invitation. One time someone called me a whore and threw water on me. It makes me feel disgusting and degraded that people treat me like this just for leaving the house in shorts.

– Anonymous

Location: Richmond, KY

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

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

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2020 Anti-Street Harassment Week – Day 3

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Today was Day 3 of our virtual International Anti-Street Harassment Week and we’re now up to 26 countries represented!

There were two tweet chats today.

  • Safecity hosted a tweet chat on “Street harassment and responding in real time” with guest Catcalls of NYC
  • Paremos el Acoso Callejero held a tweet chat en Espanol with the hashtag #SinAcosoYo

Today Catcalls of NYC and partners like Our Streets Now released a video about what various street harassment activists would do if street harassment didn’t exist. Many people around the world shared their stories too.

Below are a few examples of what else took place, and here is a photo album that highlights more.

Acción Respeto: por una calle libre de acoso Tucuman in Argentina released the results of a street harassment survey they conducted in 2019 with almost 1700 people.

Paremos el Acoso Callejero’s tweet chat led to #SinAcosoYo being the #1 hashtag today! Here are some of the messages shared.

Bingo from Argentina!

Interesting illustrations for the week!

Looking ahead, there are three more tweet chats and a Zoom bystander intervention training (April 24, 4pm UTC/12pm EST in English. You must pre-register. Organized by Hollaback! and Sayfty).  Hope you can join them!

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“If Street Harassment Didn’t Exist…”

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What would you do if street harassment didn’t exist?

Anti-street harassment activists around the world share their responses. Use the templates below to answer too, or take your own video and tag us, or simply write your response on social media. Use #StopStreetHarassment in your posts – especially today, the Global Day of Online Action for International Anti-Street Harassment Week!

Thanks to Catcalls of NYC for making the video and to Cute Catcalls and OCAC Guatemala for the image templates below.

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“I’m so tired of being afraid every time I go out”

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Street harassment has certainly not stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some stories shared online in the last day:

Via @cutecatcalls:

 “I live in Strasbourg, France, and ever since I turned 15 years old I can’t remember going out in the street without being whistled, cat-called or even assaulted. Obviously it didn’t stopped during the lockdown.

Last Friday as I went out to buy some groceries I was insulted by a man calling me a slut (connasse in French). A few minutes later two men cat-called me and wouldn’t stop looking at me as I was trying to go back home.

It may not seem so bad but honesty I’m so tired of being afraid every time I go out. I’m so tired of not saying anything because I don’t know how they would react.”

Via Huffington Post UK:

“Journalist Micha Frazer-Carroll, 25, based in Hackney, London, has endured this and says it’s “especially jarring” in the current climate, considering going outside can already feel intimidating.

“I spend a lot of my day alone, and when I do go outside, I’m already on red alert about the danger of germs,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Throw being heckled, catcalled or followed by men into the mix, and it makes me feel that bit more scared about going outside at all.”

On our Facebook Page, two women shared this:

Zara in London, “I’ve been out just three times in the past three weeks, all during the day just to my local supermarket and I’ve been harassed every single time.“

Erin in San Francisco, USA, “Honestly it’s been much worse than before, because of much less foot traffic I get harassed constantly on my way to the store and back home. They have been more persistent as well since there aren’t a lot of women walking out anymore.“

This is not okay! No one should ever have to deal with street harassment, but add it on top of a very stressful, scary pandemic, and it’s just TOO MUCH. Street harassment needs to end!!!

Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

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