Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Snapshot of street harassment stories, news, announcements & tweets: July 1, 2012

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Chamelee Bogoda's submission to the SHOW You Care Campaign

Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past few weeks.

** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment ***

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read street harassment stories on the Web at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

HarassMap in Egypt

Bijoya in Bangladesh

Resist Harassment in Lebanon

Ramallah Street Watch in Palestine

Name and Shame in Pakistan

Safe Streets in Yemen

Many of the Hollaback sites

Street Harassment In the News, on the Blogs:

* Clutch Magazine, “Hey There Pretty Lady: How Street Harassment Affected My Body Image and How I Overcame It” and syndicated on The Grio

* MSNBC, “Shanghai subway to scantily clad women: No wonder you’ll be sexually harassed!“; Global Post, “Shanghai Metro’s warning to women: ‘Sexy clothing may provoke sexual harassment’;” CNN, “Fury over Shanghai metro’s warning on women’s dress;” Women’s Views on News, “Women say no to Shanghai Metro’s suggested dress policy“

* Bikya Masr, “Defining sexual violence in Egypt“

* BeAmman, “The social contract I never signed“

* FBomb, “On Street Harassment“

* The Daily Beast, “Egypt’s Sexual Harassment Epidemic“

* Daily Bhaskar, “Security fear not heat forcing Bhopal girls to don face veils“

* Albawaba, “Dis-honor crimes: Jordan youth protest against harassment“

* RH Reality Check, “Street Harassment: A Means of Control That We Need to Get Under Control” and syndicated on Alternet.org

* Sociological Images, “Working-Class Masculinity and Street Harassment“

Announcements:

New:

* If you’re in London and are willing to share your street harassment experiences, contact a student doing research there! INFO.

* Sri Lanka Unites in Colombo launched a project called S.H.O.W You Care (S.H.O.W. = Stop Harassment of Women) this week.

Reminders:

* @RapeCrisisSth New research project on #streetharassment for the women off South London. Interested? Contact @rosie_ts or visit http://bit.ly/LabScF

* If you’re in Winnipeg, Canada, take this survey on street harassment.

* Activists in South Africa launched a new website about street harassment

* The anti-sexual harassment public service announcement signs are now up in several Washington, DC metro stations!

* Help fund a new film about street harassment

* The Stop Street Harassment book is available in paperback for $15.

* Submit art about street harassment for the VoiceTool Product exhibit in San Francisco, CA

* The Adventures of Salwa campaign has a hotline for sexual harassment cases in Lebanon: 76-676862.

* In Bangalore, India, there is a helpline for street harassment 080 – 22943225 / 22864023

* Report #streetharassment in Pakistan at @NameAndShamePk, email nameandshame@ryse.pk, SMS 0314-800-35-68 or online at http://www.nameandshame.pk

20 Tweets from the Week:

1. @WrittenbyBene I don’t know why some men think women feel good about constantly win harassed when just trying to get from point A to B. #streetharassment

2. @SafeSpacesDC Want to help end #streetharassment?Donate to help launch our RightRides #DC program this summer http://bit.ly/MBzIgy #endSH

3. @hiphopis4lovers No, sir, you cannot offer me a seat on your lap. #streetharassment

4. @Karnythia And if we want to talk about #streetharassment man look, I don’t believe all of the “No one I know acts that way” bullshit.

5. @DJTheTornado Fuck street harassment and all the men who perpetrate it…

6. @burnyourbones This morning a man leaned out of a truck and made a noise at me like a spitting cobra or maybe a cross Klingon. #streetharassment #wtf #why

7. @NermineOnsy #before_I_die I wanna sleep in a tent in the street without any harm or harassment !

8. @EverydaySexism @AllegraHolbrook Social normalisation of street harassment makes it very difficult for women to complain/object as seen to be ‘overreacting’

9. @thetrudz I miss about Cali: my sis @ReneeMHamilton, Stanford’s campus, MLK library, Loves Cupcakes, LightRail, 1000% less street harassment than FL.

10. @goldenflowermix Guy first creepily comments on my shirt’s sport logo, then says ‘yum yum yum yum yum’ while stating at my chest. Gross. #streetharassment

11. @goldenflowermix Never felt that unsafe walking home afterwards. Kept looking over my shoulder for the next 10 mins. #streetharassment

12. @rw_ny I was looking at these 3 guys looking at this woman walking by and I thought of a way to stop street harassment of women. It won’t be easy.

13. @annihilate__ It’s times like this I think of the public/street harassment campaigns they have elsewhere. CATCH ON IN AUSTRALIA, KTHX.

14. @khrthorogood will shout out for the right to jog, walk, and stroll the pavements of her hometown without experiencing street harassment #hollaback

15. @TheComicsGrrl Street Harassment, Illustrated http://shar.es/siM0c via @hollabackboston #streetharassment #webcomics

16. @TajaLindley Getting so tired of street harassment! Ugh, can I carry my groceries in peace?!

17. @dys_morphia I realized part of why this last visit to NYC was so pleasant was that I didn’t get any street harassment. My boyfriend was always w/ me.

18. @stuckinspincycl Street harassment is not a compliment South Beach diet bars. #notbuyingit

19. @AWOT_UK RT @jimsyjampots: First bit of street harassment since moving to London. Guy whistling and shouting things at me from a car across the road.

20. @RightMind215 #RatherGully RT @sassycrass: I think I’m gonna respond to street harassment this summer by just yelling “SHABBA!” at the offenders.

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“Why should any outfit be considered as an invitation?”

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Women Protesters, Via Tea Leaf Nation

A subway company in Shanghai, China, thinks it is okay to blame women for “causing” sexual harassment.

Last week the Shanghai No. 2 Subway Company posted an image of a woman standing on a subway platform in a semi-transparent dress to the company’s official Sina Weibo account with this caption:

“If that’s what you wear on a subway, then no wonder you will be sexually harassed! There are too many perverts riding the subway every day, and we can’t catch them all. Girl, you’ve got to respect yourself!”

Wow.

No matter how people dress, they should not be touched or spoken to disrespectfully. Sure, some outfits will catch the eye more than others, but looking (and not leering) is where the interaction should stop. The fault for harassment lies with the harasser, not the target of the harassment.

CNN.com reports that “sexual harassment claims on the Shanghai subway rose in the month of June. Reports included instances of indecent exposure, lewd acts and attempts at taking pictures up women’s skirts.”

While I haven’t seen a study about sexual harassment on their transportation system, a 2002 survey of 200 citizens in Beijing, China, showed that 70 percent had been subjected to a form of sexual harassment. Most people said it occurred on public transportation.

So, Shanghai No. 2 Subway Company, don’t shrug your shoulders in the face of known sexual harassment on your train and tell “girls” to respect themselves. Instead, tell harassers to respect women.

Given the prevalence of sexual harassment on the subway, many people who saw the post were outraged. Via Tea Leaf Nation:

“@贺瑜-小鱼儿 exclaimed, “Even if she’s wearing a bikini, she should still be free from harassment! What is wrong with this subway line?” @指间_谁de旋律 blames the subway line for its inappropriate comment as well: “It is disgusting to hear this from an official Weibo! How does her outfit make her deserving of sexual harassment? Why should any outfit be considered as an invitation?”

The official account of Women’s Voice, an NGO for gender equality in China (@女权之声), was also outraged: “Sexual harassment is a crime! The subway line should try harder to be responsible for passenger safety instead of finding excuses for these criminals and blaming the crime on the victims!”

On Sunday, two young women launched their own protest at a Shanghai subway station. They each wore a “black veil over their face, stepped into a crowded subway station with signs that read, ‘I want my coolness under the sun, but not the pervert in the subway,’ and ‘I can reveal myself, and you cannot bother me.'”

Unfortunately, their protest was met with opposition. Their actions, however, have helped bring international attention to the issue, so in that sense, it was a success!

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“I have so much to say, and I will say it, in time.”

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TRIGGER WARNING – Description of sexual assault.

British journalist Natasha Smith was in Egypt this month to “independently film a 20-minute documentary on women’s rights and abuses against women in Egypt since the revolution.”

Her project was cut short this week when a huge group of men not only took away her video equipment but sexually assaulted her Sunday evening (less than 48 hours ago).

She shares her ordeal in great detail on her blog, from the hundreds of men who ripped off her clothes to the difficulty she had finding help.

She is leaving the country now, though she vows to return to finish her project. She writes:

“I am determined to continue with my documentary at some point. I have no equipment, (not even any of my photos) am nervous about the possibility of not getting my insurance to cover all the equipment and everything taken from me, and no money to resume the process. But I’ll get there.

I have to find a silver lining to this experience. I have to spread awareness; it is my duty to do so. I have to do this; I will not be driven into submission. I will overcome this and come back stronger and wiser. My documentary will be fueled by my passion to help make people aware of just how serious this issue is, and that it’s not just a passing news story that briefly gets people’s attention then is forgotten. This is a consistent trend and it has to stop. Arab women, western women – there are so many sufferers.

I am determined to return to this wonderful country and city that I love, and meet its people once again. I am determined to challenge the stereotypes and preconceptions that people have of Arab women back in the UK and the US. I have so much to say, and I will say it, in time.”

As hard as it must have been for her to relive her experiences by writing about them, I’m glad she did. The world must know. And I hope she can return to make her documentary. Sadly, her lived experiences now support the topic she was covering.

Bikya Masr reports that there may be another anti-sexual violence rally this Friday…online organizing is happening now on Facebook. So stay tuned.

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“S.H.O.W You Care” (S.H.O.W. = Stop Harassment of Women) in Sri Lanka

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Photo submission to the S.H.O.W. You Care Facebook page

To address the widespread problem of sexual harassment on public transportation in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Unites in Colombo is undertaking a unique project this week called S.H.O.W You Care (S.H.O.W. = Stop Harassment of Women).

Via Facebook:

“From June 25th to 30th in all bus routes in Colombo, students (from mostly boys schools) will board the buses according to a formulated plan and address the passengers in all three languages (Tamil, Sinhala, English):

1) apologizing to all women for any incidents of harassment they may have encountered in the past,
2) handing out leaflets highlighting the legal recourse available to women if they experience such treatment,
3) making a general statement of the right of women to be treated respectfully and the men taking the responsibility to safeguard this right and the negative reflection on them, if they fail.

These leaflets will also contain information regarding basic women’s rights and the actions that could be taken if one’s found violating them.”

It’s great that so many young men plan to participate…we must have boys/men involved in these efforts in order to make them truly successful.

Their decision to target bus riders is very smart. More than 70 percent of women aged 15 to 45 surveyed in Sri Lanka last year said they’d experienced sexual harassment on public transportation. The survey was conducted by the Legal Aid Commission. In other studies, it was revealed that more than 95 percent of women feel it’s unsafe to travel alone in public spaces in Colombo, and one in four women report sexual harassment on public transportation in the country, according to a report by the Transport Ministry.

Sri Lanka Unites is a grassroots youth movement that empowers youth to be the driving force of social change in the country. Already their initiative has received nice media attention. Look for another blog post later this week to recap how their efforts went.

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Snapshot of street harassment stories, news, announcements & tweets: June 24, 2012

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Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past few weeks.

** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment ***

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read street harassment stories on the Web at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

HarassMap in Egypt

Bijoya in Bangladesh

Resist Harassment in Lebanon

Ramallah Street Watch in Palestine

Name and Shame in Pakistan

Safe Streets in Yemen

Many of the Hollaback sites

Street Harassment In the News, on the Blogs:

* Associated Press, “Wolf whistle billboard at NJ mall draws protest;” ABC News, “Sign Apologizes For Catcalling Construction Workers;” NY Daily News, “Construction sign begs forgiveness for catcalls, ‘but man you look good!’”; Sundance Channel Blog, “Pro-sexual harassment sign? Oh, hell no!”; Jezebel, “Construction Sign Explains Workers’ Whistling and Cat-Calling: It’s ‘Cause You Look Gooooood“; DC 101, Elliot in the Morning, “Sign Apologizes For Catcalling Construction Workers;” XO Jane, “Creepiest Construction Sign Ever Half-Heartedly Apologizes For Pervy Workers;” NJ.com, “Petition objecting to ‘whistling’ Princeton MarketFair billboard leads to its removal“

* Clutch Magazine, “Girls for Gender Equity Helps Girls Take Aim at Sexual Harassment“

* Democratice Underground, “Men Will Never Truly Understand A Day In The Life of Women. But Shouldn’t We Try?“

* Kitty Von Trubble, “Politics of poof: some reflections on dressing abroad“

* Levi Grayshon, “Is Your Behaviour Really Necessary, Mister?“

* In Our Words Salon for Queers & Co, “Reforming Catcalls: How to Be Affirming When Yelling at Someone in Public“

* The Life and Times of an Indian Homemaker, “Sometimes it seems like every single thing I do has the potential to be something ‘provocative’“

* WPix.com, “Subway Creep Snapping Photos Of Women’s Bare Legs“

* Jezebel, “Don’t You Dare Ask Me Why I Look Mad“

* Huffington Post, “Priscilla Dang, Martial Arts Expert, Lays Down The Law After Teenager Gropes Her On A Jog (VIDEO)“

* The Sunday Guardian, “The last cat call: ‘Action heroes’ fight eve-teasing“

* Tea Leaf Nation, “Shanghai Subway Tells Scantily Clad Women To Expect Sexual Harassment“

* The Jerusalem Post, “Terra Incognita: You can’t sell Israeli liberalism”

* The Times of India, “Eve-teasers stab five of a family“

* The Nation, “Fighting sexual harassment in buses“

Announcements:

New:

* Thank you everyone who signed my petition to get a pro-street harassment sign taken down in a mall in New Jersey! Online activism works sometimes 🙂

* @RapeCrisisSth New research project on #streetharassment for the women off South London. Interested? Contact @rosie_ts or visit http://bit.ly/LabScF

Reminders:

* After the attacks on women at Tahrir Square in Egypt this week, follow the hashtag #EndSH on twitter to find out what the next steps are to challenge the behavior and make the space safe for women.

* If you’re in Winnipeg, Canada, take this survey on street harassment.

* Activists in South Africa launched a new website about street harassment

* The anti-sexual harassment public service announcement signs are now up in several Washington, DC metro stations!

* Help fund a new film about street harassment

* The Stop Street Harassment book is available in paperback for $15.

* Submit art about street harassment for the VoiceTool Product exhibit in San Francisco, CA

* The Adventures of Salwa campaign has a hotline for sexual harassment cases in Lebanon: 76-676862.

* In Bangalore, India, there is a helpline for street harassment 080 – 22943225 / 22864023

* Report #streetharassment in Pakistan at @NameAndShamePk, email nameandshame@ryse.pk, SMS 0314-800-35-68 or online at http://www.nameandshame.pk

20 Tweets from the Week:

1. @leloveluck Troubling but unsurprising tweets from @ghazalairshad on official indifference to her attempt at reporting street harassment case. #EndSH

2. @Sarahkasm #EndSH #StreetHarassment Brave young woman confronts harasser, has him at the police station within an hour. #Egypt https://www.facebook.com/deena.emad/posts/10151028644421131

3. @pink_smurfette I think #streetharassment might be my new topic of concentrated feminist rage.

4. @dopealicious I see the topic of the day is street harassment. Can we talk about how it’s even worse when your child is with you? #StreetHarassment

5. @NyashaJunior @FeministaJones If I had a dollar for every time… #streetharassment

6. @HollabackBXL #WhoSaidItWasOk to catcall if she’s got a short skirt? It’s NEVER ok! #hollabackbrussels #hollaback #streetharassment #brussels #bruxelles

7. @RaiWalk Reading about #StreetHarassment makes my faith in humanity lower…

8. @RhythmKeene the worst part is, women are forced to maintain a certain level of notgoingcompletelyoff just to maintain our own safety. #streetharassment

9. @welshfeminist I’m a ‘dyke whore’ who’d better keep her ‘fucking mouth shut’ #streetharassment nothing worse than a vocal woman, eh? #feminism

10. @FeministaJones: Don’t try to holla at a woman that is out with her child(ren). <- it’s VILE, it’s RUDE. DISRESPECTFUL!

11. @dopegirlfresh Keep your hands to yourself. Always. #streetharassment

12. @Whatevertron It’s amazing how hot weather makes me mistrust- and later, hate -every man who crosses my path in public. #streetharassment

13. @miss_tmo The worst #streetharassment is the kind disguised as a compliment.

14. @RaquelEvita @Roy_Cam I’ve spoken 2transwomen who’ve been upset w/being on receiving end of #streetharassment-they didn’t realize it’s part of the deal.

15. @ForRevolution @simplyjewell I want to be able to wear whatever I want without being referred to as anybody’s bitch #streetharassment

16. @Hated_Logic honey, I’m in Vegas & the #streetharassment by black men has reached its fuckin limit

17. @beckypants Just wolfwhistled wearing head to toe waterproofs in pissing rain. Tell me again that #streetharassment is about what we’re wearing?

18. @HollaBackBmore “Are race & color stereotypes influencing how I am harassed too?!” #TheGoddessFestival asks wtf is up w #streetharassment…

19. @ForRevolution @simplyjewell I want to be able to wear whatever I want without being referred to as anybody’s bitch #streetharassment

20. @mustardphoto Grope count for the day in #tahrir: 3. I should consider myself lucky. #cairo #endsh #nosh #morsi

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