Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

USA: Why #Ferguson matters

By

Angie Evans, Washington, DC, SSH Blog Correspondent

Walking across the street to pay the parking meter, a man pulled to curb. I kept my “resting bitch face” on but he still rolled down his window to invite me for a ride. He made sure to comment on my pretty face. I wish this was a rare occurrence; but it isn’t. I wish I could say I was wearing something low cut or short; but I wasn’t. I wish I looked too good that day; but I didn’t. I always wonder what I could do differently when these things happen and realize the answer is nothing.

As a woman, you experience a daily barrage of commentary on all things. You can expect the opinion of strangers whether you smile out of politeness or frown as a defense mechanism. As I walked to a coffee conversation about #FergusonOctober and away from my harasser, the parallels between the microaggressions I experience as a white woman on the street and the institutional racism African Americans have grappled with for centuries that spurred the murder of Michael Brown were obvious. Racism and sexism leave us vulnerable and often disempowered in a society that normalizes both problems

One outcome of institutionalized racism is police harassment. There is no denying that black youth are portrayed negatively in the media. For every positive story about an African American thought leader, writer, or everyday joe, there are half a dozen stories reinforcing racial stereotypes about criminal activity or academic failure. And although you wouldn’t know it from watching the news, the majority of all violent crime in the US is committed by white people – not young black men.

Police are fed the same media we are though, so it’s not surprising that an 18-year-old black kid and a white cop would feel tension around one another. And it’s also not shocking that the media engaged in victim-blaming when the #Ferguson story came out. They wanted to find some way to justify this young man’s death…but lets be real, even if the kid had robbed a store, there was no justification for killing him. No law makes that moral.

A group of women in skirts doesn’t provide the grounds for catcalling anymore than black kids hanging out on the sidewalk warrants police harassment and violence.

As more African American families have been sharing their own stories of racially-motivated harassment in recent months, people like me are realizing that what happened in Ferguson wasn’t a one time event. Thanks to more video recordings, we can even see some of these stories. Like when a video was released earlier this month showing a police officer breaking the window of a black family’s car in order to pull the man in the passenger seat from it. Why did the officer stop the car? Because the driver wasn’t wearing her seat belt. Unfortunately the situation escalated quickly. With stories about young black men being killed by police officers are pouring forward left and right, the family was scared and even called the police station from inside the vehicle.

Perhaps the cop who broke through the window isn’t a bad guy. Perhaps the passenger isn’t an angel. But the real problem isn’t the players in this story, the problems are that police disproportionately target persons of color and many African Americans justifiably fear white police officers.

You can’t have a true democracy if one group lives in fear of another and yet, that is our society.

This kind of police violence is a symptom of racism and also poor training, recruitment, and a lack of accountability. If you want to learn more about what can be done to end police harassment, read the suggestions in SSH Blog Correspondent Sarah’s post from earlier this month, for example, offering community-wide trainings on how to report police abuse in your area.

Angie is a community organizer and social worker. Last year she quit her job to travel around the world with her husband. They have just returned and are continuing to write about travel and adventure at http://whereisseangie.com

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India: “SHE” teams to stop harassers

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Via The Hindu:

“Cracking the whip on men sexually harassing women in public places by passing lewd comments or making indecent gestures, the city police on Friday formed ‘SHE’ teams to catch such persons.

‘Hundred of these teams, each comprising policewomen and policemen carrying secret video cameras, will look out for men harassing women at bus-stops, colleges, and junctions,’ said Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy at a press conference.

‘Clad in plainclothes, members of ‘SHE’ teams will mix with the general public and lay in wait searching for men stalking or pestering women. They will videotape them and then two members will catch the person while the other will stand by in support in case of emergency,’ the Commissioner said.”

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Iran: 2000 People Speak out Against Acid Attacks on Womem

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There are many reasons why people engage in street harassment. One reason is to reinforce existing power dynamics (such as sexism, homophobia, racism) and social norms. For example, someone who feels more powerful than another person may feel entitled to comment on and evaluate that person’s appearance or actions (“nice ass” “ugly cow” “should you really be eating that?” “you should let your hair grow out” “you have too much make-up on”). It might mean trying to make someone feel unsafe in the space you are so that they will leave and the space can “belong” to you.

In Iran recently there are men who have taken this to extreme. They are splashing women with acid (to hurt and disfigure them) if they don’t like what the women are doing or how they look (not wearing a veil).

Via Feministing:

“Over the past few weeks, at least eight women have been attacked in Isfahan, Iran, by men on motorcycles who splashed them with acid. In response, more than 2,000 Iranians in the city came out to protest yesterday, denouncing Islamic extremism and calling on the authorities to end the attacks. 

The attacks came amidst debate over a new law that, according to the New York Times, is ”aimed at protecting citizens who feel compelled to correct those who, in their view, do not adhere to Iran’s strict social laws”–essentially empowering extremist vigilantes to act as the “morality police” on their fellow citizens. Like, perhaps, by blinding and disfurging women wearing “un-Islamic” dress. Indeed, protestors say that the women attacked were targeted because they were “improperly veiled.” Iranian authorities have forcefully denied that–no doubt less than eager to have the attacks linked to the country’s mandatory veiling policy.

Iran’s president has spoken out against the new law, saying, “May such a day never come that some lead our society down the path to insecurity, sow discord and cause divisions, all under the flag of Islam.” The protestors yesterday were even more clear: “Freedom and security are the rights of Iranian women.”

Bravo to everyone who is speaking out. No one should fear having acid thrown at them for simply going about their day and occupying public space.

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Kenya: Preparing for a Campaign on the Ferry

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Our six Safe Public Spaces Mentees are half-way through their projects. This week we are featuring their blog posts about how the projects are going so far. This second post is from our team in Kenya. Their projects are supported by SSH donors. If you would like to donate to support the 2015 mentees, we would greatly appreciate it!

Planning about the ferry “Stop Gender Harassment” with our team at the Teens Watch Centre

We plan to hold a campaign about harassment on the ferry. Our pre-planning meeting in the community started with a word of prayer. Then Cosmos, the project manager, informed the participants that the purpose of the meeting was to learn more about street harassment, especially as we plan the five day exhibition at the stand on the ferry ramp dubbed “Stop gender based harassment on the ferry.”

Cosmos informed the participants that madam Holly at Stop Street Harassment had already raised and sent kshs. 22,000 which was for the support of the five day event. Cosmos expressed the situation on the ground that currently about eighteen women and two males had openly expressed their sadness on being badly touched or harassed on the ferry. Cosmos said that all was not in vain that fortunately one sex pest has been sentenced to two years prison term after a confident non fearing lady caught him and led him to the police post where he was immediately booked and taken to court the next morning.

Cosmos expressed that the reason for this campaigns is to have victims of this kind of harassment open up so that we can let people know that our Likoni ferry will not tolerate such kind of pests. He urged the participants to attend the exhibition in large numbers and support the campaign without fear.

Talking to the Community about”stop gender harassment in our ferry” at the Kwale community hall

The pre-planning meetings have gone on well so far we have been able to reach out to three hundred and fifty participants from our community. This has included 112 males and 188 females. The most successful meeting was at the Kwale Community Social Hall where over 200 participants came to deliberate on the “Stop gender harassment on our ferry” campaign.  The participants arrived early and we discussed the topic in a participatory manner. One lady shared her story about how when she was carrying a baby in her back a man kept stroking her buttocks pretending he was playing with the kid. She expressed her sadness that no male who was around her on the ferry did anything but just stared at her and some laughed. She expressed her last sentiments with pain, “We are not toys to play with, respect our bodies” she pointed at the men.

A school girl also took the mike and expressed how a man old enough to be her dad kept rubbing his erect penis on her back in the crowded ferry. It felt so shocking and depressing she says. She ended with this message “Please, our fathers respect yourselves and we shall respect you. Zip-it-up”.

An elderly mother that we had invited to share her experience started by congratulating Teens Watch and the Stop Street Harassment campaign saying this campaign should not be a onetime event and we need to plan for it every year. She said she was one of the main victims of the sexual harassment on the ferry she said that it was around six o’clock when she boarded the ferry and as usual the ferry was packed with people, about two thousand to be exact. As a lady, she said, I tried my best to go towards where most women were packed. Of course the ferry as it is now it’s not a female friendly vessel. Soon the pushing and jostling started and I sensed a man patting my buttocks as if it was romance. I pushed further on and he kept following me pretending he was being pushed.

Suddenly I felt hard warmth pressing on me. By then the ferry was midway and everyone was concentrated on the ferry reaching the off ramp. The hardness was so uncomfortable I looked him straight in the eye harshly and he backed off. It was not until I reached the other side to get off that a lady screamed, “What’s on your back?” and as I turned and strained my neck behold a big lump of sperm was smeared on my back.

I was furious! Ladies came to my rescue wiped the sperm out. I tried to look for the man who had a yellow t-shirt on, but I couldn’t find him, there were so many people in yellow. In short, I am so annoyed with this pests, as you know I am not the only one. Many women are suffering quietly, but from now on, women I want to tell you to stand up for your rights. When a man dares to press on you, raise the red card, scream, and let his acts be known. And for the men and our brothers who are here, support us against this sex beasts that pretend to be men. She ended by saying, “a man does not count as a man because of pressing his penis on a helpless woman but by protecting women against harassment. Thank you.”

Resolutions passed in this pre-planning meeting

* That the Kenya ferry services should think about separating women from the men to avoid harassment.
* That the Kenya ferry should have CCTV cameras that work on the ferry and be operated at all times.
* That the Kenya ferry should allow the Teens Watch Centre to have posters displayed to Stop Street Harassment to create awareness and warnings to those intending to violate the rules.
* That the county senate should debate on a policy towards making street harassment or sex pest an act punishable by jail in Kenya.
* That women should speak up when assaulted or harassed and that men should support them when need arises.
* That we should identify a local women leader to push this campaign.
* That the five day exhibition and campaign should be held in December when schools are closed and more people are free so that they can participate.

Mr. Cosmus W. Maina is the Project Co-ordinator for the Teen Watch Centre in Diani Beach, Kenay, and the lead for the Safe Public Spaces team in Kenya.

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USA: Our Oppressions are Intertwined

By

Sarah Colomé , IL, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

Via Gradient Liar

Throughout the past several years of working to combat rape culture, I have noticed a disturbing trend. I often find that in our work, we make strong calls for solidarity that may not be equally, if at all, reciprocated.  We often forget that violence against our children is a reproductive justice issue. We forget that our oppressions are intertwined. Sometimes we don’t show up as often as we should.

The wake of the tragic death of Michael Brown, fueled by the recent finding that every 28 hours a black person is killed by a security officer, highlights the lived reality of fear and dehumanization experienced by many people of color. Have we, as a community, engaged with this historic issue of police misconduct and brutality? Are we examining our own prejudices and acknowledging when we ourselves, racially profile others? Are we collaborating with other community organizations focused on racial justice and police violence to transform our society into a safer place for all to exist? Have we actively framed this as a reproductive justice issue?

Dani McClain outlines this disconnect between movements in The Nation explaining, “the killing of Michael Brown, like the killing of many young black people before him, is rarely framed as a feminist issue or as an issue of pressing importance to those who advocate for choice, self-determination and dignity as they relate to family life.”

To create change in the manner in which female identified persons can walk through the world with more ease and less threat of violence, we must recognize that others face similar fears about violence because of their identity. After all, the same structures and systems that functionally condone, and perpetuate the degradation of female identified and queer presenting or identified persons, also actively propagate the dehumanization of people of color, and yes, all oppressed people.

Doing “the work” can manifest itself in a multitude of ways:

* Explore with your staff why some individuals feel they should not, or could not, go to police officers to safely report street harassment.Consider screening a film like this one from Found Voices, and asking a partner organization to come debrief and collaborate.

* Offer community-wide trainings on how to report abusing policing in your area. For example, report here for New York, here for Chicago, or here for Los Angeles.

* Organize a staff outing where you attend a local rally or teach-in, or write letters to legislators, in support of racial justice.Support movements for Marissa Alexander, university teach-ins on Ferguson, or local measures for police accountability.

* Consider offering your employees and volunteers “cop watch” trainings. Organizations including Cop Watch NYC, CAAAW,Berkeley Copwatch,We Cop Watch, and We Charge Genocide all offer these trainings.

Challenge your organization, and the community as a whole, to refrain from segregating ourselves and our work, claiming “that’s not what we do.”

* Continually doing our work, without recognizing how oppression interacts among us both uniquely and interconnectedly, destabilizes the very foundation that is essential to create tangible, sustainable change. Addressing gender-based harassment and violence without acknowledging that others are equally harassed and violated based on their visible identities, whether actual or assumed, does nothing to create relationships for future bystander interventions.

This is not to suggest that there are not phenomenal groups doing intersectional work and capacity building across movements. This does not negate that there are a multitude of struggles and experiences of oppression that are lived out daily, needing our support, intervention, and attention. Nor does my assertion forgo the difficult realities of the nonprofit industrial complex, and the structures that often make our desire to collaborate difficult.

But I ask you all this: Are we showing up for those who are targeted for harassment based upon their perceived race? If not, we must ask ourselves why and how we may in some instances, be perpetuating the very experiences of violation that we are aiming to prevent.

It should never be acceptable to ask for support from our community when we do not show up for those same people as they engage with their own struggle. Recognize the privileges we hold in various spaces.  We know that male presenting individuals hold privilege in this world that female presenting people do not. This status as a target group however, does not negate other instance of privilege that we may hold. We must hold ourselves accountable to recognize our complicated, multifaceted identities, and how in some situations, the power of our privilege may outweigh the disadvantages of our target group status.

Ask yourself:

* Are we showing up at rallies, marches, or protests addressing police brutality, misconduct, or profiling?

* If not physically, or otherwise able to attend, are we engaging these topics on social media, or relating them intersectionally in our own work?

* Are we incorporating the voices of other marginalized groups in our work against rape culture and street harassment?

* Do we make sure to recognize that for many, police are not a safe option for reporting or “protection?”

* Are we engaging in self-assessment and reflection on how our own actions may perpetuate, or result in, others’ experiences of street harassment?

Bystander intervention does not exist solely in acting when someone is being cat called, followed or bombarded with sexualized comments. Bystander intervention exists in acknowledging and challenging ANY instance of oppression, no matter the movement that the target group may align with.

This note is a call to action, out of love, to the community I fight alongside with passion and commitment. We are at a crucial time for a multitude of resilient movements, both nationally and internationally. We must stand alongside one another.  I challenge us all to interrogate our own perceptions of others, as we call one another to accountability for our actions.

Sarah is a progress-focused educator and advocate dedicated to building strategic coalitions centered on creating social change who serves as an adjunct professor in DePaul University’s Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies department. You can follow her updates on Linkedin or hear her perspectives on Twitter.

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