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Victims Have Obligation to Report Harassers?

May 28, 2009 By HKearl

Selangor Community Awareness Association member and lawyer Honey Tan said sexual harassment on public transportation in Malaysia is common (as it is in many other countries) and she said many women don’t report it.

“‘Even if you don’t think the police can solve the case, the statistics are important to justify the police’s request for more manpower [sic]. Making a police report is not just your right, but your obligation,’ she said.”

There are tons of reasons why victims/survivors don’t report incidents of street harassment & assault, like not having enough time/energy, fear of being blamed for harassment/assault, fear of wasting time because complaint won’t be taken seriously, fear of retaliation from harasser, an inability to identify the harasser, etc. So saying it’s their obligation to report it may be a bit naive.

On the other hand, I do think that the problem of gender-based public harassment and assault by strangers won’t be taken seriously by law and policy makers unless the numbers show there’s a problem. The numbers won’t show there’s a problem if the crimes are vastly under reported (which they are).

So what about the creation of a lesser form/complaint one could fill out (anonymously and/or with the ability to do it online) if one doesn’t necessarily want to press charges but just wants to help show the real numbers of harassers? Does anyone know if such a form/system exists? Would there be too much room for false reporting? (Though what would the incentive be for false reporting if its purpose is to function as a way to gather data, not to prosecute the harasser?)

Otherwise, it seems like conducting surveys are the only way real harassment numbers can be shown, but that method isn’t perfect either.

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Filed Under: Administrator Tagged With: honey tan, malaysia, police report, public transportation, sexual assaualt, sexual harassment, street harassment

Street Fighter

May 27, 2009 By HKearl

An Indian newspaper The Telegraph has a great article discussing the street harassment women in Calcutta regularly face, how women tend to react, what they can do about it, and the challenges they may face if they try to respond to or report harassers. Sreyashee Bhaduri, a 30 year old woman who decided to take action against her harasser, is mentioned throughout the piece. I recommend reading the whole article if you have time.

Things they say you can do if harassed (they also noted potential roadblocks with each):

  1. Make a scene or embarrass the harasser; scream; let people know what happened.
  2. Try to solicit help from other people and/or police  nearby.
  3. File a police report and know your rights.
  4. Lodge a FIR (first information report), which is the first step in taking legal action against a harasser.

Street harassment law in India:

Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 509 of the IPC states: “Whoever intending to insult the modesty of a woman utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound, shall be heard, or that such gesture, or object, shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon, the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend, to one year, or with fine, or with both.”Section 294 speaks of obscene acts and language in public being punishable with imprisonment or fine or both. Section 354 also says assault or criminal force used on a woman to outrage her modesty is punishable.

Final thought:

“‘Most people refuse to take street sexual harassment as a serious crime. It is something that is often taken for granted — something that is bound to happen,’ says Saptarshi Chakraborty, a 22-year-old engineer and a core member of Blank Noise, a volunteer-based collective that deals with issues around street sexual harassment.

Some will laugh. Some will say: ‘If she has such a problem, why walk on a road?’ Some will say: ‘Ki hoyechhe Didi, chhere din!’ (It’s a small thing; let him go!)

Then you feel like giving up. You may even feel tempted to feel as the men in the crowd feel: that it doesn’t matter. But just remember your feeling of outrage once more.'”

This last part rings true to me. Some days it seems like it’d be so easy to give up fighting street harassment, but sadly (because I wish street harassment would end already) I always come across some new outrage that motivates me a while longer.

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Filed Under: Administrator Tagged With: addressing street harassers, Blank Noise, calcutta, first information report, India, Indian Penal Code section 509, police report, sexual harassment, street harassment

One Year Anniversary!

May 26, 2009 By HKearl

Thank you readers and street harassment-fighting allies — this marks the one-year anniversary of the Stop Street Harassment blog!

I didn’t know how long I would be blogging when I started, but here I am, still going strong one year later 🙂

I’d love to hear more from you during the coming year. You can share you story/ies via an anonymous online form or e-mail them to stopstreetharassmentATyahoo.com and I’ll post them here. Also feel free to comment on posts!

Do you have any suggestions or overall thoughts for what you’d like to see covered on this blog or ways I can improve it during year two?

P.S. Over the weekend I made several updates to the companion Stop Street Harassment website, including a new banner and stories illustrating various types of harassment women experience (click on the links in opening paragraph on the homepage).

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Filed Under: Administrator Tagged With: one-year anniversary, sexual harassment, street harassment

"Let me tell you how to talk to me"

May 14, 2009 By HKearl

“Let Me Tell You How to Talk to Me” (inspired by Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”) was written by the Girls’ Leadership Council (“HOTGIRLS Street Team”) in partnership with the FIREGRL Club program at the Harland Boys & Girls Club in Southwest Atlanta to raise awareness about street harassment and to advocate for the respectful treatment of young women and girls.

Listen to the song & here are the lyrics:

Verse 1
Imma give you yo number back (Amber)
(yep) (Sesyli)
cause I don’t like you and yo game is whack
(yep)
You see these boys just don’t know how to act
(yep)
I try to walk away but they talk smack
(yep)
Take it to the streets

Verse 2 (Jazzmyn)
Dirty boy (uh huh)
You try to play with me like I’m a toy (uh huh)
You must not know boy I’m the real ma-coy (uh huh)
Some things you say just keep me real annoyed (Uh huh)
Take it to the streets

Chorus
Come here boy (Jakia)
-let me tell you how to talk to me- (HOTGIRLS Street Team)
don’t be lame
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
ask my name
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t spit game
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
let me see where your mind is at
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t be whack
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t need no hint
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
we represent
HOTGIRLS STREET TEAM!! (call and response 4x)

They also wrote another song about street harassment:

“I Need Respect”
Lyrics by Stephy a.k.a. “Boston” (inspired by “I Need Love” by LL Cool J )

Sometimes I’m alone on the streets or hangin’ out with some friends
And then I meet a boy who don’t comprehend
Tellin’ me I look good, askin’ when he gonna hit [have sex]
I tell him I know, and he ain’t getting none of this
Every time I walk past, they be looking at my back
I know I look good but don’t act like that
I’m a respectable young lady
You don’t have to act crazy
Blowing your horn and callin’ me your lady
The way some of them approach me gets me upset
I wish that I could turn them off like a television set
You just come to my face and don’t ask for a name
Say I look good, tryna spit some game

I need respect
I need respect

Respect is what I need and it’s something I should have
It’s not something you throw away when it goes bad
There’s more to me than just a beautiful face
I’m not the one to mess with I can put you in your place
You’re like a homeless dog, who needs a home
I said I’m not interested, leave me alone
I know you’re not a crack addict, stop acting like a jay
Learn how to talk and approach me the right way
I’m not a piece of meat, stop licking your lips
I know your moms taught you manners, stop staring at my hips

I need respect
I need respect

Helping Our Teen Girls, Inc., a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization devoted to improving the health and lives of black young women and girls by providing health education, youth development, media literacy, and technology programming.

Visit Stop Street Harassment for more resources.

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Filed Under: Administrator Tagged With: atlanta, firegrl club, harland boys & girls club, hotgirls, i need respect, respect, sexual harassment, sexy back, street harassment song

“Let me tell you how to talk to me”

May 14, 2009 By HKearl

“Let Me Tell You How to Talk to Me” (inspired by Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”) was written by the Girls’ Leadership Council (“HOTGIRLS Street Team”) in partnership with the FIREGRL Club program at the Harland Boys & Girls Club in Southwest Atlanta to raise awareness about street harassment and to advocate for the respectful treatment of young women and girls.

Listen to the song & here are the lyrics:

Verse 1
Imma give you yo number back (Amber)
(yep) (Sesyli)
cause I don’t like you and yo game is whack
(yep)
You see these boys just don’t know how to act
(yep)
I try to walk away but they talk smack
(yep)
Take it to the streets

Verse 2 (Jazzmyn)
Dirty boy (uh huh)
You try to play with me like I’m a toy (uh huh)
You must not know boy I’m the real ma-coy (uh huh)
Some things you say just keep me real annoyed (Uh huh)
Take it to the streets

Chorus
Come here boy (Jakia)
-let me tell you how to talk to me- (HOTGIRLS Street Team)
don’t be lame
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
ask my name
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t spit game
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
let me see where your mind is at
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t be whack
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
don’t need no hint
-let me tell you how to talk to me-
we represent
HOTGIRLS STREET TEAM!! (call and response 4x)

They also wrote another song about street harassment:

“I Need Respect”
Lyrics by Stephy a.k.a. “Boston” (inspired by “I Need Love” by LL Cool J )

Sometimes I’m alone on the streets or hangin’ out with some friends
And then I meet a boy who don’t comprehend
Tellin’ me I look good, askin’ when he gonna hit [have sex]
I tell him I know, and he ain’t getting none of this
Every time I walk past, they be looking at my back
I know I look good but don’t act like that
I’m a respectable young lady
You don’t have to act crazy
Blowing your horn and callin’ me your lady
The way some of them approach me gets me upset
I wish that I could turn them off like a television set
You just come to my face and don’t ask for a name
Say I look good, tryna spit some game

I need respect
I need respect

Respect is what I need and it’s something I should have
It’s not something you throw away when it goes bad
There’s more to me than just a beautiful face
I’m not the one to mess with I can put you in your place
You’re like a homeless dog, who needs a home
I said I’m not interested, leave me alone
I know you’re not a crack addict, stop acting like a jay
Learn how to talk and approach me the right way
I’m not a piece of meat, stop licking your lips
I know your moms taught you manners, stop staring at my hips

I need respect
I need respect

Helping Our Teen Girls, Inc., a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization devoted to improving the health and lives of black young women and girls by providing health education, youth development, media literacy, and technology programming.

Visit Stop Street Harassment for more resources.

Share

Filed Under: Administrator Tagged With: atlanta, firegrl club, harland boys & girls club, hotgirls, i need respect, respect, sexual harassment, sexy back, street harassment song

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