Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Weekly Round Up: November 7, 2010

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Now Available: HarassMap and iPhone App

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For more than two years, activists in Egypt have been working on HarassMap, a tool that allows people to report their harassers via SMS messaging and email. Those reports are included on a map that will be used for prevention and policy making to end street harassment. It’s mentioned in my book and when I met with NYC activists Emily May (HollaBack) and Oraia Reid (RightRides) in June 2009 as part of my book research and mentioned it, they were inspired to start working on an iPhone app.

I’m happy to report that both HarassMap and the iPhone App are working and available!

Rebecca Chiao, one of the team leads of HarassMap, just sent this message via the HarassMap Facebook group:

“Thanks to everyone who tried out HarassMap! We need your feedback on how to make it better and more effective. We’re still working on messages, design, and adding more interactive sections on the site (a forum for women to share experiences and tips, self defense videos, etc.) [If you’re in Egypt], please make a report for every time you’re harassed. You don’t have to give your name, just tell us a little about what happened and where. Then send us your feedback on how easy it was to use, or what you would change.

Thanks to you, our tech partners, probono partners, volunteers and supporters for helping us to test the site. Make a report here.”

And from Emily May on the HollaBack website:

“Finally! We are so proud to announce that the iPhone app is in stores.  This app was funded by 356 donors, and we are so, so grateful for their support.  Download it today, here! The Droid app will be coming out within the next few days, stay tuned!”

Read the great NYTimes article that just came out about it.

So if you can and if they are applicable to you, please start using these methods to report your harassers!

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“Lift those legs soldier. What sexy legs you have.”

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[Editor’s Note: While most stories on this blog are from women, occasionally I post ones from men. One of my high school cross country and track teammates – who is a big supporter of my street harassment work – sent me this story via email this week and he gave me permission to post it.  No one should have to be subjected to or have to put up with unwanted sexualized comments and harassment from strangers!]

I was running in my neighborhood today around 5:30; I got stuck at a stop light for about 30 seconds and there was an old lady with what appeared to be her daughter at the light. As I was approaching the light, I hear her say: “Raise those legs soldier.” Then I stop at the light and try to move as far away from her as possible at the corner, that’s when she says, “You have sexy legs. those are wonderful thighs.” As soon as the light turns, I take off.  On my way home, she is about a block from where I saw her, just sitting blocking the entire sidewalk.  I run into the street about 200 feet before her. As I pass, once again “Lift those legs soldier. what sexy legs you have.”

I felt uncomfortable; as I always do when I get harassed while running.  I’ve had whistles from guys and girls–typically the guys are latino construction workers in their cars and the girls are high school age in their cars–I assume most of the whistling is a mocking whistle and never appreciate it.

When I was stopped at the light, I tried to avoid eye-contact and keep some distance.  Just thinking in my mind when is this light going to turn.  On the way back, I was frustrated to see her again–as soon as I saw her from over 100 yards away I was already dreading running by her again.

In the past I have changed my running habits to try to avoid this as much as possible and even sometimes discouraged from running at all.  This sucks that this was on one of my major running loops–from new apartment there isn’t too much to change; I already modified the course to avoid the liquor store and two medicinal marijuana dispensaries where the homeless have harassed me.

– JR

Location: West Los Angeles, CA

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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In Bangladesh, students protest eve teasing, police talk strategy

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I just came across two articles about eve teasing in Bangladesh:

Protesters, Image via BBC

1. School and college students held a rally in Dhaka to protest against ‘eve teasing’ and the sexual harassment of women in the latest in a series of protests following a number of suicides and killings involving women subjected to bullying and harassment. The protesters are urging the Bangladesh government to take proper steps to curb sexual harassment and provide better protection for women.

Via BBC News:

“Unable to bear the insults, some women have committed suicide. Activists say stalking and sexual harassment has led to the deaths of more than 24 people, most of them women, since the beginning of this year. In recent days, some who have spoken out against sexual harassment have been murdered. A 50-year-old woman died after a motorcycle was driven over her when she protested against the bullying of her daughter last week. A college teacher who spoke out against such bullying was also murdered.”

Outrageous!

“Following the suicides and killings, the High Court has asked the government to take measures to prevent stalking. Officials in the district of Tangail are now offering karate training to all female school and college students. Learning martial arts makes girls better able to protect themselves, they say.”

And will there also be trainings for boys and men to not harass girls and women?!

2. In the Daily Star, police talk about their strategies for dealing with eve teasing. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hassan Mahmood Khandker requested the media to term ”eve teasing” as an offence so that harassers are held accountable. He said he is also considering assigning personnel to whom victims of harassment can send SMS for help.

Because there tends to be more harassment around festivals like Eid-ul-Azha, over 50 thousand additional law enforcers will span the country as of November 11.”A three-stage security arrangement will be designed to make sure the safety of people before, after, and on the Eid day,” Khandker said.

It is sad that it took suicides for people will take this issue seriously in Bangladesh (UNICEF even has programs there now, earlier this year the first jail sentences were given to harassers, and the government declared an Eve Teasing Protection Day). And now, in many ways, Bangladesh is doing more than many countries – including the US – to deal with this issue. Will it take suicides in the US before stakeholders pay attention? Apparently murders aren’t enough.

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“We just have learned to ignore it”

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I recently visited my friend in NYC, with one other girlfriend and it really made me remember how small a town I really live in. I was only there from Friday night to Sunday morning and my friends I were cat-called and leered at every single day.

Friday night, we went out to a club and I happened to have my wallet/phone stolen. As I was running around the club, in tears, asking if anyone had seen my things, a man stopped me twice, grabbing me, hugging me, kissing me on the cheek, to tell me how cute I was, and that if I came home with him, we would definitely find my wallet. 1. Do I look that drunk, that I can be tricked into going home with you and getting raped, just because you’re telling me that you’ll find my things? 2. I’m literally CRYING in a club with all my money, ID and phone lost. Is this really the time or place?? 3. I don’t even know you. Why are you touching me? Unfortunately, I’m a very shy reserved person and I just tried to sort of play along until I could shrug him off, while politely declining.

Saturday, we went out during the day and were catcalled by workmen and random guys on the street. I don’t even remember what exactly was said because we just have learned to ignore it. But that night, we went out for dinner in Little Italy and were catcalled at by many waiters/hosts of the restaurants, shouting “Bella!” and following up a with a comment about how there were three of them and three of us… While I didn’t find those particular comments all that insulting, it still surprised me that even while at work, these men think they can say something to women they don’t know.

That night, after leaving a Halloween party to walk to a convenience store around 2 or 3 am, a red car pulled up to my friend and I. There were two guys, shouting at us, trying to get us to talk to them. They kept saying “Hey, Boo!…Come on, Boo… We have beer, you want a beeer?? Booo!” They followed us half a block, keeping pace with us at the curb, until we got to an intersection with a cop/security guard standing there, when they decided to speed away while saying something about fucking our pussies. The cop asked if we were okay and I was glad he was there to scare them off, even if it didn’t shut them up.

But of course, on our way back to the party to round up our other friend, the same car is coming back on our side of the street. We tried to ignore them so they wouldn’t notice us, but of course they did and they pulled right back up to the curb and followed us another block, shouting “Boo…Booo…Come on, Booo!” We just tried to ignore them. I want to say something to them, but in so many situations, it gets worse if you engage with them.

How can someone really not understand that following a person down the street while shouting at them in the middle of the night IS FUCKING CREEPY AND WEIRD??? And offering us a single beer just adds insult to injury. Give me a break.

-“It’s Not Flattering, It’s Creepy”

Location: New York City

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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