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Germany: In Cologne, Women’s Bodies Should Not Be Used to Promote Racism

January 12, 2016 By Correspondent

Editor’s Note: Our new Blog Correspondents ProChange in Germany wrote a piece for both Ms. Magazine’s blog and SSH… so this is cross-posted from Ms, with permission.

Following planned attacks on women on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, more than 500 reports have been made, 40 percent involving sexual assault. In other German cities such as Hamburg, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, similar cases were also filed.

In Cologne, the police have arrested 21 suspects so far, most of whom have been identified as men from northern African or Arab regions.

Shockingly, in the beginning, there seemed to be no public outcry over the attacks. It was only on January 2, after the local media started covering the incidents and quoted eyewitnesses stating that the perpetrators looked northern Africa or Arab, that suddenly there was outrage.

But instead of turning the incident into an opportunity to stand up for women’s right to be safe in public spaces, many who are against the influx of refugees used the assaults to spread racist hate speech targeting asylum seekers, migrants and foreigners.

While there may have been asylum seekers among the perpetrators, as the newspaper die Welt reported, this racist response is unacceptable. The rhetoric is unjust to both the persons affected and to the many asylum seekers coming to Germany searching for a better life.

Certainly the perpetrators should be punished, no matter where they are from. The German state must use the rule of law to send a strong message that violence against women will not be tolerated. But it is disturbing to see that the body of the “German woman” is being used to promote racist hate speech, and it’s something that has been prevalent throughout the German debate on refugees.

For example, the philology association from Saxony achieved questionable fame for warning young girls against sexual adventures with Muslim men. Under the guise of protecting the young girls, racist stereotypes were promoted and combined with sexist ideas. While Muslim men were portrayed as a potential danger, young girls’ abilities to decide their own sexuality were denied.

The wildest stories have circulated on social media. For instance, it was claimed that refugees were urinating on vegetables in supermarkets, and stealing goods worth several thousand Euros without punishment. When investigated, it turned out that those wild stories were lies.

You might assume from scrolling through Facebook that crime has increased with the influx of refugees. But the image of the “criminal refugee” is not backed by crime statistics. In fact, refugees commit crimes at the same rate as the native German population, and the number of sex crimes committed by refugees is actually below 1 percent.

Right-wing political parties, such as the AfD (Alternative for Germany), warn against refugees as potential rapists of German women. Politician Björn Höecke, for instance, spoke about the special risk for blonde (!) German women.

It seems like the right-wing movements have finally discovered an interest in women’s rights. But while the potential rape of “our women” has stirred up hate for the “uncivilized other,” the fact that sexual violence is already prevalent within German society, or that it can affect non-German women as well, seems not to be of interest to them.

In addition to racist backlash, there has also been a great deal of victim-blaming in the wake of these attacks. This was blatantly clear in the recommendation made by Cologne’s mayor, Henriette Reker, during a press conference following the New Year’s Eve attacks where she spoke about preventive measures for the upcoming carnival celebrations. When asked how women could protect themselves, she answered that it is always possible to maintain a certain distance of more than an arm length from men. Women turned to social media to mock her advice, using the hashtag #einearmlaenge (one arm length). She has since apologized, but the damage has already been done.

Following the attacks, this should be—and still can be—an opportunity to name street harassment and other forms of sexual violence as everyday sexism. It is also the right time to call for a revision of the German penal code to better address these types of offenses.

Every woman should have the right to safely be in public spaces, among men of all races, and in as close proximity as a crowded place dictates. The priority should be to ensure that that is the reality, not to punish the refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are just as likely to be peaceful, law-abiding residents of Germany as those who are native-born, nor should it be the time to engage in needless victim-blaming.

ProChange is a group of people between 20 and 64 years of age who have been active for several years or decades now. ProChange consists of a small group of core members (pictured left) in a network of other activists. Our main focus is on street harassment, sexism and sexualized violence. We are opposed to all forms of exploitation as we believe that they are all connected.

Welcome, First Blog Cohort of 2016!

January 11, 2016 By HKearl

Since 2013, cohorts of people from around the world write monthly articles about street harassment and activism efforts in their communities in four month cohorts.

We’re excited to welcome our newest cohort (and welcome back LB Klein and the ProChange team who have been excellent correspondents before!!) and look forward to reading their articles!

Meet the Correspondents of the First Cohort of 2016

LB Klein, MSW, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

LB has dedicated her academic and professional career to ending gender-based violence, supporting survivors, and advancing social justice. She is currently an independent consultant based in Atlanta, GA. LB serves as a lead trainer for Prevention Innovations Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, through which she trains colleges, universities, and community organizations to implement Bringing in the Bystander®. She is also a graduate student in the Program on Gender-Based Violence within the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. Her research currently focuses on campus sexual assault and intimate partner violence prevention programs, trauma-informed organizational cultures, and compassion satisfaction. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis and a graduate certificate in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health from Drexel University. LB previously lead Emory University’s Respect Program and the St. Louis County Domestic Violence Court volunteer program. She is a board member for Jane Doe Advocacy Center and the Association of Title IX Administrators. She serves on the founding leadership council of the Campus Advocates & Prevention Professionals Association (CAPPA). You can follow her on twitter @LB_Klein or on her website at http://www.lbklein.net.

Rupande Mehta, New Jersey, USA

Rupande is a writer passionate about women’s rights in India and the world. Having experienced physical and sexual violence from a very young age has made Rupande a fervent advocate of violence against women. Rupande grew up in Mumbai, India where she was consistently subject to street harassment and various cultural norms that force women to live as second class citizens. All these experiences made Rupande’s resolve stronger to campaign for equal rights for women and girls. Rupande has an MBA and is currently working towards her MPA, looking to specialize in Non Profit Management. Rupande writes for the Huffington Post and various other websites. You can find her writing on her blog at Rupande-mehta.tumblr.com or follow her on Twitter @rupandemehta. In her spare time, Rupande loves to spend time with her family, cook healthy foods and read.

Kathleen Moyer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Kathleen is a full-time graduate student studying professional and business communication. After earning her master’s degree, she hopes to pursue a career in which she’ll be able to dedicate her life to her greatest passion: social justice. As a proud feminist, Kathleen feels strongly about striving for equality in all areas of society. She is currently involved in planning initiatives to increase awareness of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other related issues through her university’s anti-sexual violence group, Explorers Against Sexual Violence. In addition to this work, she has also assisted with volunteer recruitment for Philadelphia’s 2015 March to End Rape Culture, and plans to be involved in organizing the United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia’s 2016 International Women’s Day event. Some of her feminist role models include Alice Paul, Gloria Steinem, and Malala Yousafzai. Outside of her activism, Kathleen enjoys reading mystery novels, watching the Philadelphia Eagles, listening to U2, and anything involving dogs.

Kayla Parker, Washington, D.C., USA

Kayla is a sophomore acting major at Howard University and is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She is passionate about theatre arts and film and strives to use her craft to create positive societal change. In addition to focusing on school, she spends her time working on her web-series, “Black Girls R Us” that aims to uplift black women of all different shapes, sizes, and shades. For updates on episode releases, you can follow her on twitter at @TheTimidLioness.

Julia Tofan, Connecticut, USA

Julia is a student in a rural town in Connecticut. She’s passionate about gender equality and feminism and she aspires to be an activist for marginalized populations. She first became interested in human rights when recognizing the great inequality in the world. She realized that education was a powerful way to combat inequality, so she joined Givology, a nonprofit dedicated to improving access to education, as a blogger. She now also writes for Dreams That Could Be, an organization telling the stories of students facing great challenges but persevering in their education, and is excited about being a Street Harassment Correspondent. She believes raising awareness about issues and educating others is the most powerful way to make a difference, and that’s what she seeks to do. Read her blog posts on Givology and Dreams That Could Be and follow her on Twitter @Julia_Tofan!

ProChange, Germany

ProChange is a group of people between 20 and 64 years of age who are active. ProChange consists of a small group of core members in a network of other activists. Their main focus is on street harassment, sexism and sexualized violence. They are opposed to all forms of exploitation which are all inter-connected.

Italy: Street Harassment in the Eternal City

January 3, 2016 By Correspondent

Sara Rigon, Italy, SSH Blog Correspondent

Recently a friend of mine tagged me on a very thought-provoking #genderviolence tweet about street harassment in Rome. She thought I might be interested in a startling video posted by La Repubblica online, an Italian newspaper that is second in national digital circulation, and she was right.

In the video, a woman walks down the central and beautiful streets of the eternal city, facing a wide range of unsolicited comments, catcalls and whistles.

Wait, this is not news and not even the “no news good news” kind of news. Street harassment is unacceptable and offensive, but sadly it is not surprising. Similar experiments have been done before in different cities around the world, producing more or less the same disturbing and upsetting outcomes.

Among the first videos about street harassment to go viral was the documentary “Femme de la rue” by Sophie Peeters. She taped her everyday walk to her university and other areas in Brussels, Belgium. It was a very disturbing glance into a woman’s life and an introduction to street harassment.

There was was the American-born filmmaker Colette Ghunim’s footage showing “what is like to walk the busiest bridge in Cairo as a girl,” showing it was not quite an enjoyable promenade. The film “10 hours of Walking in New York City as a Woman,” a walk made by Shoshanna Roberts in New York City, was unbelievably stressful. Roberts described how she felt to the Washington Post: “I wanted to break down in tears.”

After the NY City video went viral, the New Zealand Herald decided to try the experiment in kiwi land. Having lived in New Zealand, I was very pleased to discover that only two people spoke to beautiful model Nicola Simpson during her 10 hours of walking through the sunny streets of Auckland and one guy was asking for directions.

I personally do not recall any whistle or catcalling during South Pacific time, a very relaxing and fresh experience for me. However someone did throw a plastic bottle at me from a car while I was walking home on the beautiful Marine Parade in Napier. Yes, I admit it, I was reading a book and I am aware that walking and reading is not advisable or safe, but I still do not think that being hit by a (thankfully empty) plastic bottle on the head was the best way to remind me of that. But I doubt that was the message.

So back to the Italian video… what is startling about it?

This is: The Italian newspaper experiment shows a particular population of offenders, policemen and law enforcement agents, in one of the 25 most visited cities in the world. The video is quite distressing to watch, at least for me it was. Seeing men in uniform catcalling a young lady passing by gives you a sense of disbelief and alarm. While out on the streets, law enforcement agents are expected to be constantly alert, patrolling neighborhoods, and serving as a public liaison. Police officers are given more privileges than the average citizen and usually with great power comes great responsibility.

It must be said that there are many upstanding and qualified law enforcement agents in Italy and around the world, several of whom are also specifically trained to deal with gender-based violence victims and crimes. Nevertheless, this Italian video is not the only account on police officers misbehaving while on duty, taking advantage of their power and authority. Ultimately, police officers are men and street harassment is a gender-based issue.

I do not want to discuss how policemen should behave better than ordinary men, nor do I want to explore the cultural differences between northern and southern Italy, I don’t have the proper and specific knowledge or expertise. I would rather mention the aim and methodology of such videos.

The creators of the videos call them experiments, however these videos have scarce scientific foundation, not that they claim to have it. They definitely do not intend to scientifically prove the existence of sexism or gender inequality. Instead, they are meant to raise awareness on a quite mortifying and disregarded form of men’s conduct. If they do suggest something, it is that misogyny might be a global principle that unifies mankind across borders, oceans and cultures.

Even as a woman of science, I consider such “experiments” very powerful and I wish some researcher would be inspired enough by these brave women to design a valid and solid research project on street harassment since it is a heinous mistreatment women endure every day. We need valuable evidence, verifiable data to study the phenomenon and hopefully find, if not a solid solution, small steps toward achieving a truly egalitarian society and street harassment-free world.

Sara is a registered General Practitioner in Italy and New Zealand. She is the founder and current lead of the newly established Equally Different group within the European Junior General Practitioners Organization, the Vasco da Gama Movement, branch of the World Organization of Family Doctors. Follow her on Twitter @rgn_sr.

USA: My Suit of Armor

December 30, 2015 By Correspondent

Sara Conklin, Washington, DC, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

It’s finally starting to get cold this winter and I’ve breathed a sigh of relief. As a girl from the Sunshine State, throwing on winter apparel shouldn’t feel empowering – the idea of stuffing my body into multiple layers of fleece and faux-fur hooded parkas is about as foreign of a concept as the idea an apartment wouldn’t come with an air conditioner or saying “you all” vs. “ya’ll.” But, I’ve noticed an important change in my attitude when winter arrives that directly correlates to my experience as a woman walking in the city.

You see, I wear my coat like armor. It might not look like it conventionally, but I do. My armor protects me from unsolicited attention and non-consensual interactions that I so desperately try to avoid. Whether the feminist inside me screaming, “dressing modestly is a patriarchal concept of oppression!..” likes it or not, the more layers I wear, the less harassment I experience.

You cringed reading that, didn’t you? I cringed typing it. The hairs on my neck stood up at the thought of disappointing my peers who are working so hard to overthrow the policing of women’s dress and bodies. After all, shouldn’t a woman deserve respect regardless of a skirt versus a long coat? Ah yes, that would be the day. But, we currently live in a world where countless individuals believe that the more skin I show is a direct invitation into conversation and interaction. And so, for my entire life, I’ve been instructed to dress modestly, appropriately, and decently to fit a standard of dress that doesn’t attract attention; clothes that allow me to slip by unnoticed in a world that has standardized expectation for nearly everything in my life.

I live in Washington, DC and some days are hot like Hell. Summertime heat waves hit like a tidal wave and the whole city is sloppy with sweat. On these days, I, like everyone else, want to wear clothes that keep me cool. But, there is also a part of me that knows more skin means more attention and that means more unsafe situations. Is the risk worth it? The real issue is that this scenario is characterized as a “risk” in the first place.

Would you believe me when I told you one of the worst moments of my life was witnessing a mother on the subway whisper to her young daughter, “Cover her mouth when you yawn or else boys might get the wrong idea?” That was a horrible moment. Other horrible moments include the day I saw a young woman in a beautiful sundress which she clearly loved, lose her confidence in an instant when a man yelled something about her legs. Or, when I told my friend I was frustrated being repeatedly harassed by the same man on the sidewalk and he replied, “Honey, that’s what sunglasses and iPhone headphones are for.”

Because if it isn’t just the coat, it’s sunglasses to block my gaze, headphones to drown out sound, and a change of suitable clothes in my gym bag that act as tools to blockade the unsafe pieces of the world around me. I was unconsciously creating a physical barrier between the world and myself to gain back a little more control, or rather, any control at all.

I am embarrassed that I feel somehow responsible for reinforcing a dictatorial concept. Each time I change what I wear to be perceived as more modest I feel progressively more angry and resentful. When I pop in headphones to silence potential commentary, they’re getting away with it. We all deserve respect no matter what we wear. But, until I get that respect, I will wear my winter coat like armor, my sunglasses like a mask, and my headphones like a personal white noise machine.

Sara works in fundraising events at an organization that empowers women who face homelessness through recovery, wellness training, and housing. She runs her own photography company (saraconklinphotography.com) and a popular website that seeks to connect the world through pictures, sarapose.com.

USA: Bodies on the Threshold: Violence against Sex Workers

December 29, 2015 By Correspondent

Hannah Rose Johnson, Arizona, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

“The body of the sex worker is one that does not have personal boundaries. Someone who people penetrate all the time. Just like air penetrating the skeleton’s body,” says Maggie Palmer of Hey Baby! Art Against Sexual Violence! in Tucson, AZ, of her latest art piece.

“The skeleton has no skin layer, which centers the mis-perception that sex workers can’t experience street harassment because they are not fully human.” The skeleton sculpture exists in liminal space, she says. “It’s not what we identify as a body, and is clearly a body.” This is symbolic of the ways in which communities deal with gender violence and the deconstruction of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality.

Maggie started the piece for December 17th, the International Sex Workers Day of Remembrance. The purpose of the piece is to use the red umbrella, the chosen symbol of resistance for sex workers, and incorporate themes of invisible bodies through the use of the skeleton. The skeleton has dual meanings–violence against sex workers and intersectional identities such as immigrant, drug users, trans bodies, and people of color. She says, “It centers that violence against sex workers is violence against other marginalized identities. By invisibilizing violence against sex workers, violence is invisibilized against these other identities.”

The cultural narrative built around sex workers is that their bodies are disposable and live in the margins. It is purposeful that Maggie hangs the skeleton in public spaces rather than enclosed buildings. Sex worker bodies are pushed to the margins and bringing the sculpture into the street recenters those margins. She says, “The skeleton’s boundaries are permeable. There is an idea that the dominant power structure is surveilling marginalized bodies…and that the marginalized body is fundamentally flawed. Flaw creates circumstance, as opposed to looking at institutionalized racism, transphobia etc. If you are not fully formed, you have created this. And if you conform to society’s expectations, you don’t have to live a marginalized experience.”

What I find so interesting is that thinking about circumstance invokes the value of choice. But choice is not a factor when we look and name systems and institutions that are built on racism, neoliberal economics and heteronormativity. Maggie and I agree that neither lived experience of survival sex and sex work as a choice is more or less valid. “The sex worker body loses the right to consent,” she says. When a body loses the right to consent, that body has no boundaries. If a body doesn’t have boundaries, acts of violence are justified. Social systems, the way we treat “normal” bodies versus “perserve” bodies reflect gender violence that is bound up in racism, neoliberal economics, citizenship status, HIV status, gender identity and sexual orientation. This is uncomfortable, which Maggie demonstrates in her sculpture.

“The way the sculpture moves in space is disorientating. It swings back and forth, it is a hanging piece. It blows around and does unexpected things you can’t control. This symbolizes how disorienting it is for communities to deconstruct heteronormativity,patriarchy, and gender violence. It forces us to get into a space of ‘unknown.’”

Maggie says that street harassment, a form of sexual violence, is a way in which to subjugate and turn bodies into commodities for aesthetic pleasure. And street harassment sometimes punishes for not being aesthetically pleasing enough. This sculpture breaks that gaze, and shocks it. The viewer is reminded of what gender violence and sexual violence really is. She tells me that the skeleton is very exposed, and so is street harassment and sexual violence. Maggie says, “The skeleton is calling upon who has the right to privacy. Marginalized do not have access or the right to privacy.” The viewer can see right through the skeleton, can see the landscape and city scape right through the ribs and behind the torso.

She says, “This piece is representative of the continuum of violence and social constructs that make violence against sex workers possible.”

The sculpture is currently back in a bag in a closet somewhere in southern Arizona.

Hannah Rose is writing from Tucson, Arizona and Lewiston, Maine (US) as she transitions from the Southwest to the Northeast for a career in sexual violence prevention and advocacy at the college level. You can check her out on the collaborative artistic poetic sound project HotBox Utopia.

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