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End of February 2016 News Highlights

February 27, 2016 By HKearl

Here are some of the recent news stories that caught my attention (excluding ones I’ve already blogged about):

Manchester Evening News, “Women lead Reclaim The Night march through Manchester to highlight sexual violence.”

“University of Manchester Students’ Union women’s officer, Jess Lishak, said the Reclaim march will draw attention to street harassment and sexual violence against women while creating an empowering event for women.

She said: “Reclaim is about taking to the streets without the fear of being harassed and abused.

“The number of people talking about this has definitely increased. We are putting the message out there that we are against victim blaming, sexual violence and street harassment and we will support anyone affected by it.”

The first coordinated Reclaim the Night marches started in 1977 when torch lit marches were held in Leeds, York, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Brighton and London.”

GOOD, “Las Hijas de Violencia, a Female Punk Group, Battles Catcalls With Confetti“

“Las Hijas de Violencia (Daughters of Violence) is an all-female punk group in Mexico City that is fighting street harassment through performance. “When we are walking down the street and someone harasses us in any way,” says member Ana Karen in a video from AJ+, “we run after the person, grab our confetti guns, shoot once, we turn on the speakers and sing ‘Sexista Punk’”—their song about weathering catcalls. 

“What you’ve just done to me is called harassment/If you do this to me this way, I will respond,” the lyrics go.

“We must respond,” says member Ana Beatriz. “We can encourage more women to do the same.”

“We recommend that you have fun with it, so you aren’t left feeling violated from what happened,” Ana Karen adds.“


The Tribune India, “Women commuters ‘violated’ by highway goons“

“Vehicles with women passengers were reportedly stopped on the national highway near Murthal in the wee hours of Monday morning, they were dragged out into the nearby fields and raped. Though the police dismissed the incident as rumour, eyewitnesses said at least 10 women were sexually assaulted. Even worse, the victims and their families were reportedly advised by the district officials not to report the matter to anyone “for the sake of their honour”. [Unbelievably horrible!!!!]

NPR, “Teasing A Girl At A Pakistani Park Could Get You Whacked With A Stick“

“Mohammed Sayed is not one of those people who particularly relish the prospect of hitting young men on the butt with a big stick.

But he is certainly prepared to do so to defend the girls and women who frequent the neatly groomed, palm-dotted municipal park in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala where he works as a guard.

The park was designed as a place for relaxation and family recreation (it even includes some ramshackle carnival rides). But it had turned into a prowling ground for young men.

So city authorities have asked a team of guards — including Sayed, 25 — to patrol the park and stamp out “Eve-teasing” — a South Asian euphemism for the sexual harassment of women by men.”

Medium.com, “Why Women Smile at Men Who Sexually Harass Us“

“The truth is, we don’t have the luxury to ignore harassment. We engage, we’re kind, because that is what keeps us safe.

And now it’s time for everyone to engage.

If you’re tired of hearing about women being harassed, tired of us sharing our stories about it, maybe that’s because you’ve been ignoring it, and we don’t believe that you should have that luxury anymore, either.”

Guardian, “Portugal has made street harassment a crime, why hasn’t the UK?”

“Deciding that legislation may not be the most effective way forward shouldn’t mean shrugging our shoulders and accepting that the problem will inevitably continue. Ironically, one preventative measure that could be more effective than new legislation would be the discussion of such issues, and of young people’s right to bodily autonomy, in compulsory school sex-and-relationships classes – a measure the UK government recently rejected, reportedly in the face of strong objections from female members of the cabinet.

Even if new legislation is not the answer, this is an issue on which our political leaders have an opportunity to impact societal norms simply by raising awareness of laws that are already in existence and ensuring they are taken seriously.”

New York Times, “Street ‘Compliments‘”

“Occasionally, a guy in the street signals that he needs my attention. So I take off my earphones to hear what he has to say. He could be looking for directions in the big city. But usually, it’s, “Excuse me, I just have to tell you how attractive you are.” This annoys me, as if my purpose in life is to be pretty. I get that no one likes rejection. So “Go away” is not a polite response. But “Thank you” sends the wrong message. I am not thankful. These comments ruin my groove. Thoughts? – ALYSSA, SAN FRANCISCO

At first (male) blush, I thought: “God! I wish someone told me I was hot.” But I quickly came to my senses. Men and women are different, especially when it comes to other people trying to control our bodies. Case in point: These men feel entitled to stop you in the street for the sole purpose of rendering judgment on yours. And when you factor in the annoyance of taking out your earbuds, and interrupting Joni Mitchell’s “In France They Kiss on Main Street,” I came close to endorsing your “Go away” response.

Two things stopped me. Strangers in the street can be dangerous, particularly to women. And I don’t want anyone getting hurt on my watch. I would rather you keep your earbuds in and pretend you don’t notice these attempts to flag you down than get into tussles with strangers over male privilege. But if you are determined to engage, borrow the terrific sentiment of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Dude, it’s 2016!”

Many readers will see no harm in a compliment, particularly from a guy who is sincere. But he is not complimenting anything Alyssa has made (her new app) or even anything she’s chosen (her super-cute bootees). He is reducing a whole person — and rarely a man — to her looks. And if a compliment makes you feel bad, how good can it be?”

New York Times, “Renewed Efforts to Stop Subway Sex Crimes“

“Opportunistic sex crimes aboard subways are not new, nor are they news to many women. Some have been grabbed or leered at by a man who is masturbating. Many others have heard a story from a friend who felt an uncomfortable touch but was unsure if she should say something.

But cellphone cameras and social media have given women tools to fight back and provided the police a way to identify some offenders. Last year, in an effort to encourage more victims to come forward, the police began training more female officers to work the cases.

The police now send out a steady stream of alerts about such crimes using photos from victims’ phones to try to identify suspects. One recent Twitter post shared a photo of a man suspected of grabbing a 27-year-old woman’s buttocks on a No. 7 train in Queens this month. Two days earlier, the police posted a photo of a man who they say exposed himself to women on two trains at Grand Central Station.

Reported sex crimes on the subways rose 19 percent last year, to 738 from 620 in 2014. Many of those crimes were forcible touching and public lewdness, the offenses most commonly charged in connection with the sort of sexual misconduct that Detective Cross and his colleagues were on the lookout for that morning on the Lexington Avenue line.

Joseph Fox, the chief of the Transit Bureau, said he believed the increase in reported sex crimes was a result of more women coming forward. He expects the number of reports will keep rising as the police continue to talk about the problem.”

YES! Magazine, “Feminist Scooter Gangs Shut Down Street Harassment“

“In 2011, alongside the Arab Spring and massive citizen protests in Tahrir Square, Egypt’s pervasive problem with violence against women was exposed to the world. Reports of horrifying mob attacks against protesting women, videos exposing the oppressive atmosphere of harassment, and numerous articles by Egyptian women revealing the extent of the problem led the Thomas Reuters Foundation to name Egypt the worst country in the Arab world for women.

For episode seven of A Woman’s Place, Kassidy Brown and Allison Rapson flew to Cairo to find out what’s being done to end gender-based violence in Egypt. From the creators of the viral video Creepers on a Bridge who used a hidden camera to document street harassment, to the volunteers at HarassMap who map out incidents of sexual harassment and assault across the country, to the organizers of Girls Go Wheels who whip past potential harassers on their scooters, Brown and Rapson discovered Egyptian women are finding creative ways to empower each other and push for change.

“The energy is hard to describe, but it’s heavy,” said Brown. “It’s the energy from the men on the street, who are just everyday citizens. It’s that the type of stares you’re receiving are so threatening.”

“Think of a time when you’ve been out walking alone, and suddenly the energy around you changes,” Rapson said, “And you can’t necessarily explain why that is, but you don’t feel safe and you want to rush home. That’s what Cairo feels like.”

Medium.com, “To Men I Love about Men who Scare Me“

“Decent male humans, this is not your fault, but it also does not have nothing to do with you. If a woman is frosty or standoffish or doesn’t laugh at your joke, consider the notion that maybe she is not an uptight, humorless bitch, but rather has had experiences that are outside your realm of understanding, and have adversely colored her perception of the world. Consider that while you’re just joking around, a woman might actually be doing some quick mental math to see if she’s going to have to hide in a fucking bathroom stall and call someone to come help her, like I did three days ago.

Please adjust your mindset and your words accordingly.”

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Filed Under: News stories, public harassment, street harassment Tagged With: India, mexico, Pakistan, UK

New Efforts in Lebanon and Kosovo

February 26, 2016 By HKearl

Here are two new initiatives to address street harassment!

Newsweek, “Female Entrepreneurs Launch Online Sexual Harassment Tracker in Beirut“

“Three female entrepreneurs have kickstarted a sexual harassment tracker in Beirut in the hope of combating crimes against women in the Lebanese capital.

A beta version of Harass Tracker—launched on Monday—will provide a three-month trial in the city after which, if successful, it will be expanded across the entire country.

The platform is essentially an online reporting tool where people who have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment can mark the location on a map of the city and provide information regarding the type of sexual harassment that they encountered, alongside a description of the event.

The three founders of the initiative—Sandra Hassan, who is based in France, Myra El Mir and Nay El Rahi, both in Lebanon—hope to “empower victims to report” these crimes and “raise awareness as to the frequency and severity of sexual harassment in the city,” Hassan, who developed the tracker, tells Newsweek by email.

“In the longer term, we hope to use the data collected to offer recommendations on how to tackle this issue practically as well as contribute to a shift in perception with regards to sexual harassment.”

HarassTrackerLebanon

Kera News, “Young women in Kosovo are writing code to fight harassment“

“Women and girls in Kosovo almost never report these incidents, which are exceedingly common. But a new mobile app called Ec Shlirë — Walk Freely in Albanian — hopes to change that.

Ec Shlirë, which launched on Thursday, is inspired by Hollaback, an American movement to report street harassment. The Kosovar app gives users the ability to discreetly report instances of sexual harassment of all types. The reports will be visualized on an interactive map and will be sent to the authorities.

While individual perpetrators won’t be identified, the data gathered by the app will allow Kosovars to actually see the full extent of sexual harassment and will also put pressure on the authorities to respond.

“In Kosovo a lot of women who experience harassment don’t go report it directly to the police, because the police may not take one incident of harassment on the street so seriously,” says programmer Albana Dulaj. “If we have more reports, I believe they’ll take it more seriously.”

Dulaj is among 30 young women who built the app as part of a group called Girls Coding Kosova.

The development of Ec Shlirë also is helping address another problem in Kosovo: the lack of women in the tech industry.”

EcShlire - kosovo app

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Filed Under: News stories, public harassment, Resources, street harassment Tagged With: beirut, kosovo, lebanon, map, phone app

High School Girl Sets Self on Fire

February 24, 2016 By HKearl

In India, a 17-year-old student poured kerosene on herself and set herself on fire because she was so upset over being repeatedly harassed by two boys on her way to school at Sunrakh village. She’s been admitted into the hospital in critical condition and the police are working to arrest the accused boys.

We hope she will survive and can heal from both the emotional and physical harm.

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Filed Under: News stories, public harassment Tagged With: harass, India, on way to school, set on fire, teenager

Calling out #ShirtlessShamers

February 23, 2016 By HKearl

Our ally Lindsey of Cards Against Harassment wrote an excellent guest piece for The Daily Beast. Here are two excerpts:

“This January I started #ShirtlessShamers2016, a Twitter hashtag in which I juxtapose men’s sexist, slut-shaming social media posts about women’s bodily respectability with their own bare-chested pictures. This isn’t my first adventure in challenging misogyny through social media; you may also remember me from such other controversial positions as, “Street Harassment: Please Stop Doing It.” …

When I started using the #ShirtlessShamers2016 hashtag, I expected things to stay funny. Light. Playful. Sexism and gender-based double standards aren’t really funny, of course, but lampooning shirtless broskies who are heavy on ego and light on self-awareness has a certain silliness to it. They flex their pecs and regurgitate some casual misogyny, and we marvel, bemused, that they aren’t in on the joke.

But, as is often the case, we laugh to keep from crying.

I am about five weeks into the hashtag, with more than 100 posts (conveniently gathered here for your viewing pleasure) and the recurring themes are far from funny….

ShirtlessShamers

Unfortunately, this isn’t just a problem of young men being doofuses. The double standard is pervasive, and touches on the fundamental right for girls and women to be in their own bodies without being deemed provocative and inappropriate and at risk. That right matters. It matters for all women but especially for black women and girls, whose bodies are hypersexualized from very young ages. It matters for people like my sister, who has had strangers chastise her for breastfeeding her infant even as men jog half-naked nearby. It matters in how we continue to talk about street harassment as a problem related to clothing choices or other respectability proxies, no matter how many marketable white women go viral for reminding us street harassment happens to women in t-shirts and jeans.

This issue also matters for people like me who have survived sexual violence and routinely run into uninformed rape apologists and enablers who desperately want to prop up a myth that sexual violence is a problem contributed to by clothing or other victim choices. (It’s not.) It matters for people who have been bullied and shamed by their classmates and schools for the crime of developing parts unilaterally declared to be inappropriate or distracting. (They’re not.) It matters for people in the sex industry who are treated as if they shed their humanity when they shed their clothing. (They don’t.) The list goes on. Holding men and women’s bodies to a different standard as far as nudity and sexuality is concerned matters for everyone who has come to accept that no amount of fabric can fix an underlying culture problem.”

Thank you for all you do, Lindsey, to call out double standards and fight for women’s right to respect and dignity!

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Filed Under: News stories, online harassment, public harassment, Resources Tagged With: double standard, online harassment, shirtless, shirtlessshamers, slut shaming

Renewed Efforts to Address Harassment on the NYC Subway

February 23, 2016 By HKearl

More efforts are underway in New York City to address sexual harassment on the subway system. This includes training transit police, with input from Hollaback!

Here’s some info about it overall, via the New York Times:

“Opportunistic sex crimes aboard subways are not new, nor are they news to many women. Some have been grabbed or leered at by a man who is masturbating. Many others have heard a story from a friend who felt an uncomfortable touch but was unsure if she should say something.

But cellphone cameras and social media have given women tools to fight back and provided the police a way to identify some offenders. Last year, in an effort to encourage more victims to come forward, the police began training more female officers to work the cases.
 
The police now send out a steady stream of alerts about such crimes using photos from victims’ phones to try to identify suspects. One recent Twitter post shared a photo of a man suspected of grabbing a 27-year-old woman’s buttocks on a No. 7 train in Queens this month. Two days earlier, the police posted a photo of a man who they say exposed himself to women on two trains at Grand Central Station.
 
Reported sex crimes on the subways rose 19 percent last year, to 738 from 620 in 2014. Many of those crimes were forcible touching and public lewdness, the offenses most commonly charged in connection with the sort of sexual misconduct that Detective Cross and his colleagues were on the lookout for that morning on the Lexington Avenue line.
 
Joseph Fox, the chief of the Transit Bureau, said he believed the increase in reported sex crimes was a result of more women coming forward. He expects the number of reports will keep rising as the police continue to talk about the problem.”
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Filed Under: News stories, public harassment, Resources Tagged With: MTA, New York City, public transit, subway

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