Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Imagine not being able to just walk down the street”

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“Walking home isn’t always just that simple. Many teenage girls deal with insults, confrontations, and unwelcome advances – making a seemingly routine trip, a scary ordeal. ‘Stop Street Harassment’ is a demonstration of this experience, from a young lady’s point of view.”

This important PSA against street harassment was created by Ashanti Smiley, Patrice Bishop, Demetrius Labon, and Anthony Walton, juniors and seniors in high school in Chicago.

They created the PSA through Free Spirit Media, which provides education, access, and opportunity in media production to over 500 of Chicago’s under-served urban youth every year.

Patrice Bishop, the female student featured in the video, said they decided to focus on street harassment because “street harassment was happening to a lot of young ladies and it is something in the community that needs to be changed.”

Agreed. And they are creating that change by identifying the problem and saying it’s not okay.

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Free op-ed writing conference call on Jan. 25

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There are many ways to get involved with International Anti-Street Harassment Week, and one of them is by writing an article or opinion editorial (op-ed) about street harassment that gets published that week. If you’re not sure how to write one or do you want some advice, you’re in luck!

You are invited to participate in a free conference call about op-ed writing on Wednesday, January 25, 8:15 p.m. EST with journalist Elizabeth Mendez Berry, pictured on the right. Her 2010 op-ed partially led to the first-ever city council hearing on street harassment in New York City and she testified at the hearing. I will also offer advice on the call as I’ve authored several op-eds on street harassment.

RSVP to MeetUsontheStreet@gmail.com by Jan. 24 to receive the phone number.

And check out the fabulous resources on the Op-Ed Project’s website.

Here’s another great resource for people who want to get a group involved in the week. Request a free DVD copy of the award-winning four-minute film “Walking Home” as well as a Discussion Guide, created by the filmmaker Nuala Cabral. Use both to generate a conversation about the issue with a class or group. Ask attendees to create their own 1 minute video about their vision of a safe community and upload it to our YouTube Channel. Send requests for materials to Lauren Domino, lauren@artsengine.net

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2011 Anti-Street Harassment Successes – Part 1

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Reflecting on the number of people and organizations that worked hard to address and end street harassment is inspiring.  This end-of-year list is longer than last year’s list, and that’s a very good thing. Given the length, it’s divided into four posts.

Post 1 (this one): significant successes overall (e.g. new laws or awards to anti-street harassment campaigns) and 8 SSH successes.

Post 2: New anti-street harassment campaigns.

Post 3: New creative anti-street harassment initiatives.

Post 4: People who stood up to harassers.

Significant Successes:

Many major legislative bodies, organizations, authors, and news media addressed and acknowledged street harassment, bringing the issue further into the mainstream.

Laws:

1. An anti-sexual harassment bill focused specifically on groping in public places was introduced in the Chilean parliament.

2.  The Shoura Council drafted a new law in Saudi Arabia saying men who harass women in public will be fined and publicly defamed.

3.  The Los Angeles City Council (USA) passed a law making it a crime for drivers to threaten or harass cyclists. It allows victims of harassment to sue in civil court without waiting for the city to press criminal charges.

4.  The Bombay high court in India is considering “making section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with assaults or use of criminal force on women with the intent to outrage her modesty, a non-bailable offence.”

5. In Bangladesh, a court ruled that using the term “eve-teasing” to describe street harassment and sexual harassment makes light of a serious crime and ordered that it not be used anymore.

6. Plainclothes police officers arrested 100 street harassers in Kolkata, India, during a two day time period. All 100 men were caught making lewd comments to women in public places.

Studies:

1. A new study by ActionAid looks at issues of women’s safety in cities in Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Nepal. It concludes with recommendations for action.

2. The International Center for Research on Women released an International Men and Gender Equality Survey The report covers their three-year study of nearly 12,000 people in Brazil, Chile, Croatia, India, Mexico and Rwanda. One of the most important findings is that men who report more gender-equitable attitudes are more likely to be happy, to talk to their partners and to have better sex lives.

3. A new study of women in Tel Aviv, Israel, found that 83 percent had faced street harassment

4. In South Korea, a new study shows that 1 in 4 women experience sexual harassment on public transportation.

5. In Islamabad, Pakistan, a new study showed women face high rates of harassment on public transportation.

6. More than 70 percent of women in Sri Lanka experience harassment on public transportation, according to a study by the Legal Aid Commission.

7. Four more studies were conducted in Afganistan, Iran, Wales, and West Yorkshire (UK) on street harassment, look for the findings soon.

Awards:

1. HarassMap, an anti-street harassment group in Egypt, won the World Summit Youth Award from the United Nations.

2. Nuala Cabral’s film Walking Home won the Speaking Out Award at the Media that Matters film festival (USA)

3.  Tiye Rose Hood’s documentary Objectified received a nomination for best documentary in Academy of Art’s 2011 Epidemic Film Festival in San Francisco (USA).

Books:

1. Hey, Shorty! A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets was published by the Feminist Press. Written by Joanne Smith, Meghan Huppuch & Mandy Van Deven, the book chronicles the Brooklyn, New York-based organization Girls for Gender Equity’s efforts to address sexual harassment in schools and on the streets. (USA)

2. Why Loiter?: Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets was published by Penguin Books India and authored by Shilpa Phadke & Sameera Khan & Shilpa Ranade. After three years of research, they “draw from feminist theory to argue that only by celebrating loitering—a radical act for most Indian women—can a truly equal, global city be created.” (India)

Media Coverage:

There were scores of articles about street harassment this year, and here are some of the ones that brought the issue squarely into the mainstream media:

1. BBC Magazine, Why do men shout at women on the street?

2. New York Times, Keeping Women Safe Through Social Networking

3. Washington Post, D.C.’s fight against street harassment

4. ACLU blog, “Hey Baby:” Enduring Street Harassment

5. Marie Claire magazine, Gropers, Beware

6. Guardian, Argentinian writer sacked in sexism row

7. Hey, Shorty! author Mandy Van Deven wrote a 13-post series on street harassment for the Bitch magazine blog

8 Stop Street Harassment successes:

Addressing street harassment is not my full-time job, and that makes me extra proud of these successes. Big thank you’s go out to my parents, partner, friends, colleagues, and online acquaintances who helped make each one possible.

1. Early in the year, SSH launched a male allies series on the blog

2. In the spring there was a complete website redesign and new logo

3. In just four weeks, SSH organized thousands of people around the world to participate in International Anti-Street Harassment Day on March 20

4. SSH collaborated with Holla Back DC! to organize DC’s first ever community safety audits, Our Streets, Too march, and week of street harassment logging.

5. Last month, activism on the SSH blog led Togo’s sandwich shop in California to pull an offensive ad that trivialized flashing/street harassment.

6.  SSH co-sponsored SlutWalk DC, the conference Sex, Power, and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later, the event Shine the Light on Domestic Violence, and participated in Pixel Project’s Paint it Purple Campaign

7.  I gave 35 talks and did even more media interviews

8. Articles I wrote about street harassment were published in the Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, The WIP, and on the Ms. Magazine blog.

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Snapshot of Street Harassment Stories, News, & Tweets: December 11, 2011

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

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

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

HarassMap Egypt

Resist Harassment Lebanon

Many of the Hollaback sites

In the News, on the Blogs:

* Witness, “Educator, Filmmaker, and Activist Nuala Cabral Takes On Street Harassment“

* The Saudi Gazette, “Public defamation the answer to women harassment?“

* MYD Blog, “Facing Gender Violence on NYC Transit“

* The New York Post, “‘Groper’ shot“

* ColorLines, “Pass the Mic: Transgender Women in Chocolate City Tell Their Stories“

* Kansas State Collegian, “Catcalling obnoxious, harmful to both genders“

* Feminist Legal Theory, “Stranger sexual harassment part 1“

* BlogHer, “I Just Want to Go on a Walk“

* Safe Streets AZ, “Your public library is helping to end street harassment“

* Rooted in Being, “Female Activists Worldwide“

* ABC Local, “Woman groped in Times Square, photographs suspect“

* News One, “STUDY: More Than Half Of Black Girls Are Sexually Assaulted“

* The Times of India, “Khar most unsafe for women in western suburbs“

* CJOB radio, “Hollaback Winnipeg To Fight Back Against Street Harassment” & Winnipeg Free Press, “Anti-harassment activists will Hollaback! in Winnipeg“

* Boston Magazine, “Think Before You Catcall“

* The Doctor Weighs In, “Wanna harass me? iHollaback“

Announcements:

New:

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

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

* Hollaback added 11 new cities to its international campaign

* During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, Stop Street Harassment is featured 16 names women do NOT want to be called by strangers on the streets.

* Find 6 ideas for holiday gifts that promote safe public spaces.

Reminders:

* You can purchase the Stop Street Harassment book for 50% off right now!

10 Tweets from the Week:

1. charlenec_85 I love men. I really do. Y’all need to get the street harassment out for real for real. It’s violent and makes me feel unsafe.

2. bedlamfury A girl cries. She’s relating an experience of street harassment by a group of Mat Rempits [Malay youth bikers]. She feels ashamed. #mzz1

3. StefkaB I firmly believe that dudes who catcall from moving cars do so because they are cowards who need a quick getaway post-rejection.

4. laurenonizzle It’s not flattering, it’s not innocent and it’s not acceptable. #StreetHarassment

5. RaghdaRagaie What hurts me the most is that all the men standing in the street that watch me walk there everyday never speak up. #endSH #enough

6. nourammarr Today, I stood up for myself and it was awesome. #HellYeah #EndSH

7. lattershed ladies. street harassment is not the price we pay to exist as women in public spaces. don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.

8. mlenaghen27 That awkward moment when you run past a hockey team and they catcall at you….#onlymylife

9. atticascott @Alliance4Girls Have y’all ever looked into how many girls in #Louisville have experienced #streetharassment?

10. monaeltahawy @DeftAmazon Thanks. Impt 2 make that point and to make a distinction between street sexual harassment and state-sanctioned sexual violence

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Snapshot of Street Harassment Stories, News, & Tweets: November 20, 2011

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

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

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

HarassMap Egypt

Resist Harassment Lebanon

Many of the Hollaback sites

Activism Alert:

* Contact Togo’s sandwich shop to tell them their new ad trivializing street harassment is not okay!

* If you’re in Mumbia, participate in the Stop Harassing Me campaign (ends Nov. 21)

* Watch the new anti-street harassment video from The Adventures of Salwa folks and download their guide for fighting all forms of sexual harassment

In the News, on the Blogs:

* Good Men Project, “6 Ways to Help Your Daughter Deal With Sex-Based Harassment on the Street and In School” & syndicated: AlterNet.org, “6 Ways to Teach Girls How to Deal With Idiots That Sexually Harass Them on the Street“

* Jezebel, “Police Searching For Bronx Man Who Groped Six Women In Six Hours“

* Rooted in Being, “Street Harassment“

* Youth Change Global, “Egyptian women fight sexual harassment“

* Human Rights First, “Women Carving Out New Role in Egypt“

* Occupy Patriarchy, “Women Have The RIGHT To Occupy (W)all Street(s) Without Fear“

* The Times of India, “Girl assaulted, father loses his life“

* In These Times, “The Girl’s Guide to Staying Safe Online“

* Elucidated Perspectives, “Street Harassment: On taking my Power back“

* Gossip-Monthly, “Scousewives star Elissa Corrigan: Girl About Town Shouting at women in the street is not acceptable!“

* The Times of India, “Victims’ families to rally support for Zero Tolerance“

Announcements:

New:

* You can purchase the Stop Street Harassment book for 50% off right now!

Reminders:

* Sign the Zero Tolerance Campaign’s petition calling for stronger enforcement of laws banning street sexual harassment in India.

* Contact the California sandwich chain Togo’s and tell them that trivializing street harassment in their television ad is NOT okay.

* Street harassment is not okay: Watch a new 2 minutes cartoon about street harassment

* Sign the petition to tell Toronto Police to stop blaming victims for street harassment and sexual assault!!

* Contribute to the Monday “Street Respect” series that highlights the type of stories we want to see instead of street harassment stories!

10 Tweets from the Week:

1. Ssebaye7 #EndSH My harrasser today kept on saying sorry while running away..THEY R ALL COWARDS..وعلى فكرة ماكنش بدقن #Nov18

2. rickileek #streetharassment drunk dude in elevator put arm around me, pissed when I shove him and say NOPE. xcuse me, YOU violated MY personal space.

3. maps4aid Any Activists/NGOs Fighting #StreetHarassment in Delhi? Like to team up with maps4aid 4 Delhi – Stop Harassing Me! Online Reporting Site?

4. Taniaaaaa Reporting a street sexual harassment incident. (@ NYPD 115th Precinct) 4sq.com/sJLQDV

5. Salencita Oh street harassment. It’s been two whole days since I’ve seen you.

6. FeministGriote What will it take for us to take sexual harassment & sexual abuse against women/ children seriously in this society?!

7. maps4aid Today- Drunk youths molest girls going to school and flee, angry locals set liquor shop on fire. maps4aid.com/reports/view/6… #StreetHarassment

8. aliciasanchez just got a dose of #streetharassment at the colubia heights metro @hollabackdc. but the guy handing out express papers, tristan was an ally!

9. HadeelG Being at the street after mid night does NOT mean am a prostitute #endsh #egypt

10. hkearl “Stares”: Spoken Word by Philly Youth Poetry Movement Members stopstreetharassment.org/2011/11/stares/ #streetharassment

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