Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

16 Days – Day 2: Speaking Out in France

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Each day across the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we will highlight a 2018 activism effort undertaken to stop street harassment or a personal story about stopping harassers!

Day #2: Speaking Out in France

A man punched Marie Laguerre in the face in Paris, France, after he verbally sexually harassed her and she told him to shut up. She collected witness testimonies, got the surveillance video from a café near where it happened and filed a police report. He was later arrested and she started a website where women can share their stories. Her publicized experience garnered international attention and outcry, bringing more attention to the pervasive problem of street harassment.

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16 Days – Day 1: Research on Girls’ Safety

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From sexual harassment and violence in homes to the streets, from schools to workplaces, women’s and girls’ equality and right to be safe is impeded every day by gender-based violence. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, as designated by the United Nations to recognize this human rights violation and to say ENOUGH. Everyone deserves a life that is safe and free from violence.

What will you do to speak out against men’s violence against women and girls, including street harassment?

Today also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. It will conclude on 10 December, International Human Rights Day.

Each day across the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we will highlight a 2018 activism effort undertaken to stop street harassment or a personal story about stopping harassers!

Day #1: Research on Girls’ Safety

Plan International released a report, based on interviews with 21,000 girls in Delhi, Kampala, Lima, Madrid and Sydney, that says street harassment is a pervasive problem for them. One researcher said, “The level of danger girls are facing in cities is shocking and we all have a role to play in ensuring everybody feels safe in our cities — whether they are on the street, on public transport or in parks. Individuals, communities, governments and authorities should all be spurred to act.”

Plan International Australia suggests that girls should be involved in planning cities to reduced gender-based exclusion and street harassment. They also recommend “behavior change programs that target toxic masculinity, tackle social norms and address the root causes of gender-based street harassment.”

“We have to have this conversation now. Good men, there are a lot of them, they’re a majority, they have to start speaking up and speaking out and they have to start calling out this behaviour because enough is enough. It shouldn’t be on girls to fix this problem,” said Plan International Australia CEO Susanne Legena.

In another report by Plan International, titled “Girls’ Safety in Cities across the World“, almost 400 experts in 22 cities across six continents discussed the safety risks that girls and young women face. It found that Lima is the world’s most dangerous city for girls to go out alone, while Stockholm is the safest city for sexual harassment and for girls to leave the house alone. “The poll is the first of its kind to highlight the universality of the dangers girls and young women face in cities and public spaces across different societies and cultures, which it says affects the lives of millions and yet remains ignored.”

Lastly, research conducted by Plan International UK found that one in three girls in the UK have been street harassed while wearing their school uniform and 66% have faced some kind of street harassment overall. They found that many girls feel street harassment is “all part of growing up.”

The organization has made several recommendations, including:

  • Public awareness campaigns to spread the message that street harassment “is not OK”
  • Offer training for bystanders on how to safely intervene
  • Support boys and men to change their attitudes and challenge harassment
  • Provide relationship and sex education to young people
  • Training for workers in public places (shop staff, bus drivers) on spotting harassment and reporting it
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16 Memorable Stories of Standing Up to Street Harassment 2017

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Here are some of my favorite stories about people standing up to street harassers this year, cross-posted from our annual blog post at The Pixel Project’s website!

Empowering Response #1: Street Harasser Selfies – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

For a month, 20-year-old Noa Jansma, a student from Amsterdam, took selfies with every man who catcalled her to show how often it happens. Her 30 photos taken with men who willingly stood with her and didn’t seem to understand that their behavior was inappropriate or wrong went viral. Her project was covered by every major media outlet, bringing lots of attention to the topic. Only one man even asked her why she wanted the photo. She was harassed more than the 30 times, but other times felt too unsafe to ask for the photo or the man was already gone.

Empowering Response #2: Reporting an Upskirting Creep – Washington D.C., USA

A woman riding an escalator at a Metro station in Washington, D.C. felt a man’s hand go up under her skirt. She later filed a report at www.wmata.com/harassment and when the transit police reviewed the CCTV footage, they saw the young man had taken an upskirt photo of her. They also saw him do it to other women across that day at the same location. Later, thanks to her initial report, they were able to arrest him.

Empowering Response #3: Publicly Humiliating A Harasser – Chicago, Illinois, USA

CG was walking her dog in Chicago when a man in a work uniform knelt down to pet her dog. When he got up to walk away, he slapped CG’s ass. At first, she was stunned, but then she followed him for 10 minutes yelling that, “THIS GUY JUST ASSAULTED ME WITHOUT MY CONSENT” and “THIS GUY’S A PERVERT.” When he turned around and yelled that CG was “crazy” and “should go home and act like a lady,” she really let him have it. She said, “I’ll bet he thinks twice before he assaults someone again.” She suggests to others: “Calling them out on it. LOUDLY. And if you’re on the street and someone is calling a harasser out, go to her and ask if she needs help. Just be there in case the asshole tries to retaliate.”

Empowering Response #4: Publicly Humiliating A Harasser – Los Angeles, California, USA

Anonymous was getting onto a bus in Los Angeles and her husband and friends were boarding behind her. As she looked for a seat, a man stood up and pulled her onto a seat next to him and said, “You’re sitting HERE!” When she tried to get up, he pushed her back down. Anonymous said that’s when she lost her temper and yelled at him and pointed out that she wasn’t alone. When the guy turned to look, she stood up and shoved him across the aisle. His instinct was to look at her husband and worry he was going to hurt him, but the husband laughed and said it looked like his wife could take care of herself.

Everyone on the bus laughed at him then and the guy went to the front of the bus and waited to get off at the next stop. The bus driver yelled at him when he exited, “Don’t ever come back and leave women alone!” Anonymous said, “That was when I finally stood up for myself…I stopped tolerating harassment a lot after that.”

Empowering Response #5: Shutting Down A Pervert – Anonymous

One day as FM was waiting for the bus with a friend, a car driven by an old man stopped near them and he asked for information about a street. She gave him this information, and then he questioned her, “Do you enjoy sex?” She was very embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. Then he asked several other questions about sex before she asked pointedly, “Do I have to call the police?” and he left.

From ‘France considers tough new laws to fight sexual harassment and abuse’ (The Guardian/PDN/Sipa/Rex/Shutterstock)

Empowering Response #6: Making Street Harassment A Crime – France

France’s secretary of state for gender equality, Marlène Schiappa, who has experienced street harassment directly, has spent the past few weeks working to make street harassment a national crime. Her efforts have raised a lot of important conversations about street harassment in the country.

Empowering Response #7: Cream Cakes Against Harassers – Scotland

FL was walking along a busy street in broad daylight in a town in Scotland. She was 14-years-old. A man who was part of a group of men walking behind her came up to her and stuck his hand up her skirt and groped her. She turned around, shocked and saw that they were all laughing. She immediately took the cream cake she was eating and smacked it in her assailant’s face.

Empowering Response #8: Calling Out A Pest – Texas, USA

Sarah in Texas was walking from her office to the bus stop when a man kept pestering her, following her and trying to get her attention. She said that finally, after another “just want to talk to you” comment from him, she turned to him and very loudly said, “I don’t want to talk to you!” He got the message and walked away.

Empowering Response #9: Flipping Off A Catcaller – Wokingham, United Kingdom

Heather in Wokingham, UK, said she was cat called by a man who sat in the passenger seat of a white van when she was walking to her car after work. She noticed there was a girl’s school very nearby and she worried whether he did that, or worse, to the girls. She gave him a withering look, turned around and showed him her middle finger before taking down the license plate of the van and reporting it to the police.

Empowering Response #10: Butts Are Not For Leering At  – Alaska, USA

When anonymous was 16-years-old and in a store in Alaska with her mom, an older man let them pass by him. Then he said, “I let you go in front of me so that I can watch you from behind. Oh, I’m sorry, that was a compliment, you should take it as one.” Anonymous said she felt scared, embarrassed and disgusting, but her mom turned to him and told him off.

Empowering Response #11: Pregnant Woman Pushes Back

Anonymous was walking down the street in Washington while 35 weeks pregnant. She noticed a white unmarked van driving very slowly behind her. Once the van was alongside her, the driver leaned out the window leering at her. He then said, “Oh yeah baby, daaamn.” She told him that she thought he was disgusting.

Empowering Response #12: Bus Driver Takes Action  – Manchester, United Kingdom

RP was 17-years-old and riding a bus with a friend in Manchester, UK, from school to band practice.  An older man in his 40s kept leering at her and smiling creepily. When the girls got off at their stop, he got off too. RP and her friend got on different buses at that point and the man got on RP’s bus. The bus was pretty empty, and yet he followed her and sat right by her. She got up and ran to the bus driver and told him she thought the man was following her. Her stop was coming up and it was in a remote area and she worried what he’d do next. Thankfully, the bus driver believed her and when she got off the bus, he didn’t allow the man to get off at that stop. Some of the other passengers assisted the driver. RP made it to her destination safely. She wrote, “All I can say is thank you to that bus driver and fellow passengers who stopped him following me inside the primary school. I’m also thankful I wasn’t headed home as he doesn’t know where I live.”

Empowering Response #13: Hauling Up The Police – Quezon City, The Philippines

When a 21-year-old woman experienced catcalling at the hands of police in Quezon City, The Philippines, she filed a police report. Street harassment is illegal in the city under a 2016 ordinance. The two men were charged with violating the ordinance and while they wait for sentencing, they have been put on leave from their jobs. This is the first case filed under the new ordinance.

Empowering Response #14: A Comforting Hand  – Rome, Italy

A man grabbed AC and he kept trying to pull her toward him on the street in Rome. When she broke free, she ran across the street into traffic to escape. She said when she reached the other side, “An elderly woman gave me a kind smile and patted my arm without saying anything. That gesture did so much to comfort me and helped me know that I’m not invisible.”

Empowering Response #15: Intervention With Luggage  – San Francisco, California, USA

When AH was riding the train in San Francisco, she noticed a man standing too close to a woman. She stuck her luggage between them and he moved and found a new target. AH kept trying to get his attention, but he ignored her, so she tapped the young woman on the shoulder and pointed out what was happening. He got angry and shoved AH’s bag, but he did exit the train. AH wrote, “I was very shaken up. I had never called someone out for harassing another person before, but I felt very protective of other women in that moment. People came up to me afterwards and said I did the right thing and they would have backed me up. The first girl also thanked me because she wasn’t sure what had happened until she saw him do it to someone else. I hope that my choice to step out will cause others to be aware of their surroundings and to speak up if they see someone being harassed.”

Empowering Response #16: Male Ally Does Good  – Texas, USA

Kensa was walking in Texas when a man on a motorcycle pulled up next to her and began paying her “compliments.” At first, she said thank you to appease him, but then he kept demanding she get on his bike and take a ride with him. He got angry when she refused and repeatedly pestered her until a man nearby intervened, saying, “You can clearly see that she is not interested. You’re scaring this poor girl.” This did not deter the motorcyclist at first and he kept telling her to get on, but the bystander stayed with Kensa and kept telling the man, “She’s not interested.” Finally, the motorcyclist left.

 

BONUS STORY: Teresa, San Francisco Diaries, “When fellow women are your first line of defense on Muni.”

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Announcing a New Project!

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Today is the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence as well as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and this year’s theme is “Leave No One Behind.”

Building on this theme as well as the outpouring of #MeToo sexual abuse stories from women around the world (H/T to the hashtag creator Tarana Burke), the SSH board and I are excited to announce a new project. 

Exciting New Survey
We plan to partner again with national survey firm GfK (they worked with us in 2014) to conduct a nationally representative survey on sexual harassment and abuse in all the places it occurs, including public spaces, schools, campuses, workplaces, places of worship and private homes. We hope the survey will show just how all-encompassing sexual harassment and abuse can be nationwide, as well as illuminate other information, like the young age it begins. To date, there has not been a survey like this undertaken.

Because this national sample of 2,000 people ages 18+ will reflect the demographics of the country, the experiences of smaller demographics won’t be as well documented, including demographics of people who face high rates of abuse. Thus, we will also conduct three separate online surveys that target three main demographics: transgender people, persons with disabilities and youth (of course acknowledging that some people span two or all three categories).

How can you be involved? 
1) Donate, $10 or more. We need to raise $11,000 to cover the costs. The sooner we raise the funds, the sooner we can undertake this timely project.

2) Encourage your networks and friends to donate, particularly for #GivingTuesday in three days. Here is a sample message and graphic for social media.

If you were moved by the #MeToo stories, you can bring more facts to light about the extent of #sexualharassment by helping @stopstharassmnt fund a ground-breaking national survey. https://www.razoo.com/team/Shanationlsurvey #EndSH

3) If you would like to participate in any of the three online surveys (the main survey is randomized and conducted by GfK), help solicit responses for them or give input on the questions, please be in touch.

Thanks!

Holly
SSH Founder

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Spain: Pros and Cons to Self-Defense Classes

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Alice C.R., Barcelona, Spain SSH Blog Correspondent

The 25th of November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Like every year and (almost) everywhere else, Spain and Barcelona have organized various events, from conferences to theater play and demonstrations.

I have always had mixed feelings about such a “Day”. Of course, I like the idea of focusing on violence against women. This is a good way to catch the attention of people and media and I hope this can help to rise awareness about how real it is. Statistically speaking, we all know women who have been the victim of this kind of violence.

But at the same time, I am a bit skeptical. What about the others days? Acts of violence occur every single day. Putting a focus on one day seems to me like a good deed we only do to have a clear conscience so we can forget about it until next year. And it seems even more true with the success of all these International Days. I have been quite surprised to learn about the existence of an International Underwear Day, a World Egg Day and a World Pasta Day, among hundreds of other “celebrations”.

But, if at least one person can learn more and become aware thanks to the 25th of November, it will make my day.

As I was saying, in Barcelona we have a lot of events and activities. And not only the 25th but across the whole month of November.

I made an intervention yesterday about a project I will speak about next time and I will attend a self-defense workshop next Saturday. And this is what I would like to speak about. It is not really specific to Spain nor Barcelona but it is a topic that has caught my attention for a while.

Every 25th of November and every 8th of March (International Women’s Rights Day), woman are offered self-defense classes and workshops. I think it is very important to offer specific classes to women since women are subjected to specific violence. While workshops are very well done, others are not so well prepared and I must say that some initiatives simply offend me.

Let’s start with what I think is problematic:

First of all, I am tired of the people who say, “Women should go to self-defense class to learn how to defend themselves and protect themselves from being assaulted”. Effectively, you can find in Barcelona some “anti-rape” self-defense workshop. Programs include how to use your keys, a piece of paper and how to deal with strangulation…

I do not like that:

– It tells me that if I do it, I will be able to avoid a rape or any other assault. I could say, “Hurrah! I am protected”. But we all know it does not work like that. Self defense is good, self defense can help you in some dangerous situation but self defense can’t guarantee you will be protected.

This is just another way to put the responsibility on the victim. We ask the potential victims to do an activity whether they like it or not, to take away from their free time, from their energy, from their savings (usually you have to pay for most of these classes) instead of asking potential harassers and attackers to follow workshops and classes about how not to harass and attack.

– It won’t change anything about a possible harassment or assault. I mean, if I need to defend myself that means that I am already attacked. Prevention=zero. But if we want reduce the amount of harassment and assault we need to focus on prevention. The best prevention is education. Educate people that “no” means “no”, that no one is “asking for” being harassed, assaulted. Well, you get the idea.

All this makes me feel that women’s fear for rape and assault is bankable. The offenses and crimes we can be victim of generate a business at our expense.

Then, why did I enrolled for a workshop myself?

Well, because I believe self defense can help me being more confident and develop my strength.

In fact, I am not against it, but this has to be done in good, safe conditions by instructors who know the consequences of an assault, the consequences of being harassed on your way home after a long day at work or in the bus going out with your friends. I am sure a lot of instructors try to do their best and really want help women to feel more safe and confident but from being in their class, I know this does not work.

What works is a class where you feel free to leave if you feel uncomfortable with an exercise, not were you are “forced” to participate because you need to “surpass yourself”, where you will be taught how to develop your proper strength and not standard way of defense, and where no one will tell you that every woman should practice self-defense but that every women should have the right to feel and be safe in any public space even without taking part in self defense class.

Alice likes researching, analyzing and writing about Women’s Rights, gender bias, and intersectionalism with a special focus on sexual violence, rape, rape culture, the impact of street harassment and how the media deals with these issues. She is currently working on a new project focused on how some media participate in the revictimization of victims. Follow her and her projects on her Facebook page and via Twitter @Alyselily.

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