Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Nepal: Kathmandu Fights Back!

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This post is from our Safe Public Spaces Team in Kathmandu, Nepal. The SPSM projects are supported by SSH donors. If you would like to donate to support the 2015 mentees, we would greatly appreciate it!

Harassment in the streets of Kathmandu has been so normal that it is almost taken for granted. Street harassment like cat calling and explicit evaluative commenting can lead to bigger psychological repercussions in the future. The main aim of our Safe Public Spaces project, ‘Acts of Defiance’ is to help make Kathmandu a safe space for people of all ages to live in. Hence, Hollaback! Kathmandu acts as a catalyst to encourage the victim to fight back and raise their voice against street harassment. Our project entitled ‘Acts of Defiance’ was divided into two phases.

Our first phase of the project, Forum Theater was conducted in early January. The main objective of conducting the forum theater is to generate awareness in an interactive and participatory manner so that the students get a public platform to contribute their views and knowledge on street harassment and as well as inculcate the learning by doing methodology in them. The motive behind focusing on the youth is because this is the prime age to be aware about the dimensions of street harassment. The storyline of the forum theater revolved around the scenario of high school girls and how they are subjected to street harassment on a regular basis. Through the forum theater, we aimed to portray the life of a teenage girl on the street and on the public vehicle and showed the various kinds of harassment they faced every day.

We also wanted to exhibit their reactions to the harassment and the kind of reactions that bystanders showed when they saw someone being harassed. The drama was divided into two scenes and after each scene, the students were encouraged to come up with a better response –(both by the victim and a bystander) to the harassment scenario with the help of some brainstorming.

The session was fun and informative for the students which opened them up to the live action of the happenings in the community. It worked as a driving agent which led students to talk about their past experiences and encounters. Moreover, the audiences were informed about the existing law of our country related to the harassment and it also encourage them to fight back and to stimulate critical discussions around the issue of street harassment.

There were other actions we took, too.

On December 5, 2014, Hollaback! Kathmandu conducted a Self Defense session for about 50 female refugees for UNHCR Nepal. The session was provided to the refugees from diverse nations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Nigeria and Vietnam. The primary goal of our self defense session was to provide the participants with basic tips on how to defend themselves should they ever come across harassment in public spaces. We aim to equip the most vulnerable groups with the necessary tips so that they can defend themselves. Ayesha, a twenty- three year old refugee from Pakistan said, “It was a very new experience for us. Earlier, we did not know that we could use our body as weapons. But after the session, we learned to use our body as a weapon to protect ourselves.”

We  were featured in a local television media program on Social Advocacy to discuss on the issue of street harassment. The 30 minute interview session included different discussions on the situation of street harassment in Nepal and also threw light on the fact that street harassment is a global problem and that strict actions needed to be taken to mitigate it.

As part of the 16 Day Activism Campaign to End Violence Against Women, Hollaback! Kathmandu also organized a visit to the local women police station. The Police Center also has separate female constables to deal with the female victims of violence. Inspector Khadka said, “We try to solve the situation in a non-violent manner. If there is violence in a marriage, we give the husband a warning and try to settle the issue in a cohesive manner. We also provide counseling classes for men to sensitize them about gender. One of our volunteers, Aakriti shares her experience as, “Some of the new things that really amazed me was the fact that the police officials are not so cold-natured as we’ve heard about through other people. They were in fact very supportive when it came to issues regarding Women and Children.

Through December, we celebrated the Violence Against Women (VAW) Activism Campaign and conducted activities to aware the youths about the issue of street harassment. The session was led by our volunteers where a video related to women, violence was shown and the students were encouraged to have a discussion after watching the documentary.. In the VAW Session, our volunteers went across 9 schools and impacted 513 youths in total. Along with the informative session at schools and colleges, we also organized a #orangeurhood campaign where our volunteers made posters and youths from different backgrounds came together to support the campaign.
This had been an ecstatic ride for Hollaback! Kathmandu and we still seek for many ways to make the public spaces safer.

Nistha Thapa Shrestha of Hollaback!Kathmandu 
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Welcome, SSH Board Members!

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The Stop Street Harassment team is growing and I am thrilled to introduce our new board members!

They each bring an important perspective to the issue and are dedicated to making public places safer.  They’re also part of the team working to raise funds so we can do a groundbreaking national study on street harassment — please donate and help make that happen.

Anna Bavier
Elizabeth Bolton

 
Nuala Cabral
Mark Hutchens

 
Holly Kearl
 

Zabie Khorakiwala
 

 

 

 

Layla Moughari
Jennifer Scott

 

 
Relando Thompkins

Board of Directors (2012-14)

Anna Bavier is a community connector and works with a variety of LGBT organizations in promoting health, wellness and activism programs in Washington, DC. A native Minnesotan and Howard University graduate, Anna earned a Marketing degree and has worked in both commercial insurance brokerage & auditing as well as nonprofits specializing in volunteer management & fundraising. As someone who loves to travel, she is striving to ensure everyone can enjoy a street harassment-free life in ANY city or town whether it’s while running, partaking in nightlife or headed to work.

Elizabeth Bolton is the managing editor for the American Association of University Women, where she oversees the production of almost all communications materials for the organization. Prior to joining AAUW, she reported on federal labor law, sexual harassment in schools, and grants for Thompson Publishing Group. She holds a master’s degree in public policy with a focus in women’s studies from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from American University. As a runner, she hopes to help create a world in which all women feel free to run on streets and trails wherever and whenever they want.

Rhode Island native Nuala Cabral is an educator, activist and award-winning filmmaker who entered into anti-street harassment activism in 2009 with her short film Walking Home.Upon obtaining her Masters in Media Studies at Temple University, Nuala co-founded FAAN Mail, a media literacy and activist project formed by women of color in Philadelphia. Nuala is passionate about using media and media literacy to build understanding, share silenced voices and provoke social change. A witness to the normalization of street harassment in her community, Nuala joins the movement with the understanding that another reality is possible and necessary.

Mark Hutchens is an analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton. He has an MBA from James Madison University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Roanoke College. He is a strong advocate for ending gender-based street harassment and has volunteered at a number of ant-istreet harassment events. His photographs from an anti-street harassment march have been used on numerous websites and one was was published in the Ms. magazine spring 2012 issue.

 

 

 

Holly Kearl founded Stop Street Harassment first as a website and companion blog in 2008. Next she wrote the book Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe and Welcoming for Women (Praeger Publisher, 2010). Since then, she’s given more than 50 talks around the world about this issue and has received widespread media attention for her comprehensive work around ending street harassment. In spring 2011, she founded International Anti-Street Harassment Day, which, became International Anti-Street Harassment Week in 2012. She also works as a program manager full time for the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a women’s equity nonprofit based in Washington, DC. She received a Master’s degree from George Washington University and degrees in history and women’s studies from Santa Clara University.

Zabie Khorakiwala is a sexual assault specialist and currently manages the educational and prevention programs on UC Irvine’s campus related to sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. Zabie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Behavior and Education from the University of California, Irvine and did her graduate work in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs at The George Washington University. Zabie is also a certified yoga instructor through Core Power Yoga. She is the founder of Transcending Sexual Violence through Yoga, an organization with a simple mission: empowering survivors to heal through yoga. Zabie is also a founder of the Young Professionals Society of Orange County and she manages the philanthropic events of the organization. She is widely recognized for her hard work and dedication to her field, most recently as a finalist for WIN’s Young Women of Achievement Award and as a recipient of UC Irvine’s Order of the Laurel Award and the Janet Loxley Award. For more information on her yoga work with survivors of sexual violence, visit her page on The Breathe Network.

Layla Moughari is a Program Associate at the Women’s Learning Partnership, where she coordinates joint women’s rights programs in Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine, and Turkey. She also is the coordinator of the International Women’s Democracy Network, a network of civil society actors and activists committed to increasing women’s civic and political participation. Previously, Layla was a Policy Analyst with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Layla is committed to eradicating violence against women and ending street harassment in the US and internationally. Most recently, during International Anti-Street Harassment week in March she spoke on a panel about the similarities between street harassment in Tehran, Iran and in DC. Layla has a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Women’s Studies from the George Washington University and graduated cum laude from the University of Florida.

Jennifer Scott is the Assistant Director for Interpersonal Violence Services at the North Carolina State University Women’s Center. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She has been doing sexual and interpersonal violence prevention and education work for almost 10 years. She approaches her work from a social justice perspective, examining the intersections of identity, power, and society. She loves working with college students, and is excited to serve on the Stop Street Harassment Board.

Relando Thompkins is a social justice worker interested in conflict resolution, improving intergroup relations, and using peace as non-violent action. Through service, conflict resolution through non-violent communication, and social action, he works to build more equitable and inclusive communities and to increase intercultural understanding. By exploring social identities through written word, film & video, and other forms of media, He hopes to continue to expand and enrich conversations about social issues that face our society, and to find ways to take social action while encouraging others to do so as well in their own ways. His website and blog: Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian (N.A.H.) can be found at relandothompkins.com

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SSH Grows Up

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 21, 2012
Contact: Holly Kearl
stopstreetharassment@yahoo.com

Stop Street Harassment Plans a National Study on Street Harassment
The New Nonprofit Aims to Document the Problem

WASHINGTON, DC – Stop Street Harassment (SSH) today launches a fundraising campaign to conduct a national study on the prevalence of street harassment. The organization, which just incorporated as a nonprofit, will survey both men and women ages 18-30.

The few studies that exist on this subject show that at least 80 percent of women experience street harassment, especially when they’re young. Street harassment negatively affects the lives of harassed people; those who experience it feel forced to limit their activities, change their commutes, or even move. More research is needed, however, to better document the problem in the United States and to understand its causes and the impact it has on people’s lives and on society as a whole.

“After researching it for five years, there is no doubt in my mind that street harassment is a human rights violation,” said Holly Kearl, founder of Stop Street Harassment. Kearl began her work on the topic by writing a master’s thesis in 2007 and later a book in 2010. “I believe that a national study is necessary to prove once and for all that this is a problem—not a minor annoyance, joke, compliment, or the fault of the harassed person—and I am excited that SSH will undertake it.”

SSH plans to work with an advisory team of PhD-level sociologists, demographers, and political scientists as well as anti-street harassment activists to develop the survey, and GfK Custom Research LLC will conduct the nationally representative survey.

For the past four years, SSH has been a website, blog, book, and the group behind International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Its work has been cited by the United Nations, New York City Council, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, and more.

Now, it moves forward as an organization focused on ending gender-based street harassment by removing barriers that make public places less safe for women and all LGBQT individuals. As a nonprofit, SSH plans to conduct research, organize awareness campaigns, create curriculum, organize conferences and seminars, and engage in global and community-based outreach on the topic of street harassment.

To contribute to the study fundraising campaign, visit the SSH Razoo page to make an online donation, or send checks to SSH, P.O. Box, 3621, Reston, Virginia, 20195.

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Stop Street Harassment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending gender-based street harassment worldwide. On its website, visitors can access lists of statistics, articles, films, and campaigns around street harassment as well as ideas for action. Stop Street Harassment provides people with a place to share their stories and organizes International Anti-Street Harassment Week annually.

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