Yahoo News, “These 3 Women Allegedly Stopped a Date Rape in Progress in California“

“‘Monica, Marla, and I were at FIG at the Fairmont for their delicious happy hour (‘Fig at 5.’ Treat yourself),’ one of the women, who goes by the name Sonia Ulrich on Facebook, posted. ‘I was going on about something and saw Monica staring behind and making a funny face. I stopped. ‘What’s going on?’ After a few second she said ‘That guy just put something in her drink.’

Ulrich wrote she had to ‘Warn her. Tell her to get up and leave this creep. Make him drink it. Something.’ So she lingered in the bathroom to meet the woman in question and said her date had dropped an unknown substance into her beverage, only for the woman to say the man who did it was her ‘best friend.’

The women informed the staff of the restaurant as well, triggering an uneasy wait of nearly 45 minutes for the Santa Monica Police Department to arrive.”

Refinery29, “Meet The Heroic Campaigners Making Cities Safer For Women“

“New research from ActionAid shows that 79% of women living in cities in India, 86% in Thailand, and 89% in Brazil have been subjected to harassment or violence in public. That’s why ActionAid have declared today, Friday the 20th of May, as International Safe Cities for Women Day.

While we might assume that women have it much better in the UK, in the research project interviewing 2,500 women, ActionAid found that 75% of British respondents had experienced some form of violence or harassment in cities. And while 36% of women in UK cities outside the capital feel at risk of harassment on public transport, this rises to 51% on London transport. New mayor Sadiq Khan identified the issue in his campaign, saying: “Women face specific challenges on our transport network that are not currently being addressed.” Citing the reports of sexual offences on London transport almost tripling in five years, he vowed: “As mayor I will take these problems seriously.”

Evening Standard, “Half of women feel at risk of harassment on London public transport“

“This ranges from 39 per cent experiencing name-calling to 54 per cent experiencing wolf-whistling.

Twenty three per cent said they had been victims of groping or unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature.

The findings were published by ActionAid as its ambassadors Imelda Staunton and Jodie Whittaker opened an exhibition at Marble Arch to highlight the plight of victims worldwide.

It found 36 per cent of women felt at risk of harassment on public transport in UK cities, rising to 51 per cent among the 128 London women who took part.”

Metro, “Tackling street harassment at the Clothespin can be the first step to Philly seriously addressing it“

“I normally wear headphones when I get off at the 15th and Market station – also known as the Clothespin – to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city. This week, I forgot them and was reminded of how much I was missing as a result.

Coming up the steps from the SEPTA station underground, I see a crowd of men hover around the entrance. Smoke can be seen surrounding the outskirts as a group of women are walking up. One by one, the men begin to catcall at them and each time the women try to avoid them like the plague.

One of the men proceeded to call them a bitch when none of the women responds. It was in that moment that I simply asked the men to “knock it off.” What followed were a few verbal homophobic jabs at my masculinity and physical intimidation. While this was going on, several other men just walked by.

The biggest disappointment is that this should have been their concern as well.”

Independent, “Iranian women cut their hair off and dress as men to avoid morality police“

“Women in Iran are cutting their hair short and dressing as men in a bid to bypass state ‘morality’ police who rigorously enforce penalties for not wearing a hijab.

A number of women have shared photos of themselves in public with their hair uncovered on Instagram and other social media.”

NYT Live, “ISIS is fining women $10 for showing their eyes“

“Women, a group that’s especially abused by the terror extremists (a fact that hasn’t prevented the group from somehow having a strange allure with some Western women), have been subjected to some of the new taxes and fines. For instance, ISIS will fine women $10 for showing their eyes. Women who wear a cloak that’s too tight will be hit with a $25 fine, and not wearing socks or gloves will cost them $30 in fines.”

News Australia, “Why this man will never catcall another woman after living in Thailand“

“HAVING travelled around Thailand for the past few years, 28-year-old Australian Dylan* has plenty of amusing stories from his travels; many of which include him being followed and propositioned by gay men.

Surprisingly, he says it’s something that has taught him a lot about the experiences of women.

“In Australia, it’s kind of unusual for a guy to have these experiences, but it’s pretty normal in Australian culture for guys to do that [to women],” he said…

“I now understand why, in Australia, if I look at a girl and smile they often just look away. I used to think, ‘that girl is so bitchy, just give me a smile, it’s not that hard,’” he admits.

“But now I realise, she’s probably had 10 guys smile at her before me, and ask for her number or tell her she’s sexy; so when I smile she thinks, ‘Oh here we go again’.

“I’m sort of grateful for the experiences I’ve had, because I can really sympathise with girls now.”

Mini IOL, “Gender activists take on SA taxi drivers“

TeleSur, “Mexico City Ridiculed for Sexual Harassment Fight With Whistles“

In light of a surge in street harassment and sexual assaults against women, Miguel Mancera, head of the government of Mexico City, announced that his administration will distribute whistles to women to alert bystanders and police of a possible threat.

The proposal quickly became the subject of ridicule on social media. The hashtag #ElPitoDeMancera became a trending topic. In Spanish, “pito” has a double meaning, suggesting a double entendre.”

Quartz, “Just call the rapist ‘brother’ or use this whistle: The ridiculous ways powerful men globally suggest women fight rape“

“Aside from being ludicrous, those kinds of policies ignore the heart of the problem, which is that sexual harassment and assault are learned behaviors, says Holly Kearl, founder of non-profit Stop Street Harassment. Officials should focus on educating school children that such conduct is not OK, and stop the portrayal of women as sexual objects in the media, Kearl says.”

The Star, “Sheffield branch of Woman’s Equality Party launches Safer Streets campaign“

“Sheffield branch founder member Charlie Barker said: “Following on from the #WEcount campaign, which started in London, it was very clear that street harassment was an issue our members and the public wanted us to tackle.

“WE believes that equality is an issue that effects everyone, regardless of gender and this is reflected in the growing number of male and female members and supporters across the country.

“The Sheffield branch of WE currently hosts around 100 members and 300 registered supporters, who’ve been working hard to put together our Safer Streets campaign.”

Georgia State University, “African-American Girls in High-Risk Neighborhoods Experience Threats and Objectification, Study Finds“

“The girls described witnessing marital aggression, experiencing physical and sexual abuse at the hands of adult family members and facing peer aggression, such as bullying, teasing and physical encounters. They reported feeling unsafe inside and outside their home, as well as participating in risk-taking behaviors that elevate the probability of harm. They frequently described early sexual experiences (occurring prior to age 14), being pressured for sex by older boys and watching pornography with boys.”

The Guardian, “#SayHerName: why Kimberlé Crenshaw is fighting for forgotten women“

“When she speaks at public meetings, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw has a trick. She asks everyone to stand up until they hear an unfamiliar name. She then reads the names of unarmed black men and boys whose deaths ignited the Black Lives Matter movement; names such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin. Her audience are informed and interested in civil rights so “virtually no one will sit down”, Crenshaw says approvingly. “Then I say the names of Natasha McKenna, Tanisha Anderson, Michelle Cusseaux, Aura Rosser, Maya Hall. By the time I get to the third name, almost everyone has sat down. By the fifth, the only people standing are those working on our campaign.”

The campaign, #SayHerName, was created to raise awareness about the number of women and girls that are killed by law enforcement officers. For Crenshaw – who coined the term “intersectionality” in the 1980s to describe the way different forms of discrimination overlap and compound each other – it is a brutal illustration of how racism and sexism play out on black women’s bodies.”

Huffington Post, “DC Metro Rape Highlights Why Women Are Always Aware of Rape“

“What it does mean is that girls’ socialization is significantly pegged to cultivated rape and rape myths, in ways that boys’ are not and that that socialization has far-reaching inhibitory social effects. For example, in the wake of this DC rape, chances are that the parents of girls are being far more restrictive about their using public transportation than the parents of boys, especially straight boys. Boys, even if they are not taught to restrict themselves, or subject to evergreen risks, are actually made more vulnerable as a result. This is one of the ways that patriarchy backfires on men.

If people abhor rape and would like to make the world a safer place in general, a good simple first step is listening to women when they say that street harassment is a problem.”

Verily, “This Research Reveals the Real Side Effects of Sexting, Harassment, and Self-Objectification“

Orenstein’s book adds more shocking stats to the mix. “I interviewed more than seventy young women between the ages of 15 and 20,” Orenstein explains, and later adds, “Fully half of the girls had experienced something along a spectrum of coercion to rape…. Only two had previously told another adult what had happened.”

Huffington Post, “What I Wish Men Knew About That Creepy Guy At Starbucks“

“None of these incidents are the worst things that have ever happened, by any means. But put together, they’re indicative of a culture that allows men to feel entitled to women’s bodies. One that leads to men attacking, and even killing women for rejecting them.

Here’s the thing: Women know with no uncertainty that a pass from a powerful man is never just that, a direction to “smile” from a stranger is never just that, and that eyes following us down a sidewalk could become more than just that in a moment. Starbucks man was no exception. He was the rule.”

The Daily Northwestern, “Anxiety Abroad: Students call for better resources navigating sexual harassment, mental health issues on study abroad programs“

Revelist, “12 women reveal the good, bad and downright kickass ways they respond to street harassment“