Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Share Your Story – Safecity and Catcalls Collaboration

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Check out this new collaboration and way to help document street harassment stories –>

No one deserves to face street harassment. We all deserve safe access to public space. This #antistreetharassmentweek Catcalls of NYC and Safecity launched their collaboration so that together they can collect more stories of street harassment.

Catcallsof NYC receives many DMs about their communities’ experiences so that they can provide support and chalk the incidents. But as a volunteer-based team, it is difficult to collect all the stories in one place and organize the data. So this collaboration allows for everyone who feels comfortable to report their stories to the Safecity app, available in the App Store for iPhones and androids and on the website. Catcalls will pick up the stories from there and chalk them. They will still be available for sharing stories on DM, but this new tool will ensure that all the stories contribute to a larger map of street harassment. We wish to make sure that everyone knows the magnitude of this problem. Report your story today.

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“Unprintable comments from the young men”

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Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

One day while going to the shops to buy some basic needs for breakfast, i passed a narrow corridor. At first i was scared because of the number of young men lined up. The street was narrow and it was the only route i could use to access the shop. i gathered courage and walked by. What followed was unprintable comments from the young men. One tried to touch my bum but i ran off hastily until i reached the shop. The comments were demeaning and it made me feel low and dirty i almost cried.

Amidst tears i told the shopkeeper what i needed, purchased them and got ready to go back home using the same route. as i walked back i could only ask myself questions, why do young men feel great when they harass young women? what can i do to stop this happening to me and other girls? How many girls are affected psychologically because of the unprintable comments? This needs to stop.

As i approached the corridor, i was lucky enough to see the young men disappear far off into an adjacent road. i passed by quickly, not knowing whether i should tell my mother or not.

– Elizabeth Apondi

Location: Kenya

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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“The male police officer said that I shouldn’t be outside walking”

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Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

During this pandemic, I was walking out in public and a police van slowed down, the male police officer said that I shouldn’t be outside walking the lonely quiet street. I felt angry. Thinking in my mind that this police officer is thinking in a traditional way that women should not walk the streets alone.

– Anonymous

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

Share

“It makes me feel disgusting and degraded”

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Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

Every day when I go out on walks near the downtown area, someone makes a comment out of their car window at me. They honk their horn or yell out something about my body, like the fact that I’m out there is an invitation. One time someone called me a whore and threw water on me. It makes me feel disgusting and degraded that people treat me like this just for leaving the house in shorts.

– Anonymous

Location: Richmond, KY

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

Share

“I’m so tired of being afraid every time I go out”

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Street harassment has certainly not stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some stories shared online in the last day:

Via @cutecatcalls:

 “I live in Strasbourg, France, and ever since I turned 15 years old I can’t remember going out in the street without being whistled, cat-called or even assaulted. Obviously it didn’t stopped during the lockdown.

Last Friday as I went out to buy some groceries I was insulted by a man calling me a slut (connasse in French). A few minutes later two men cat-called me and wouldn’t stop looking at me as I was trying to go back home.

It may not seem so bad but honesty I’m so tired of being afraid every time I go out. I’m so tired of not saying anything because I don’t know how they would react.”

Via Huffington Post UK:

“Journalist Micha Frazer-Carroll, 25, based in Hackney, London, has endured this and says it’s “especially jarring” in the current climate, considering going outside can already feel intimidating.

“I spend a lot of my day alone, and when I do go outside, I’m already on red alert about the danger of germs,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Throw being heckled, catcalled or followed by men into the mix, and it makes me feel that bit more scared about going outside at all.”

On our Facebook Page, two women shared this:

Zara in London, “I’ve been out just three times in the past three weeks, all during the day just to my local supermarket and I’ve been harassed every single time.“

Erin in San Francisco, USA, “Honestly it’s been much worse than before, because of much less foot traffic I get harassed constantly on my way to the store and back home. They have been more persistent as well since there aren’t a lot of women walking out anymore.“

This is not okay! No one should ever have to deal with street harassment, but add it on top of a very stressful, scary pandemic, and it’s just TOO MUCH. Street harassment needs to end!!!

Do you have a story about street harassment during the global COVID-19 pandemic? Share it here and we’ll post it for International Anti-Street Harassment Week, April 19-25.

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