Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
Walking dog on street near my house. Came in to contact with three older men. One said I can tell your dog isn’t friendly but you look sweet. Told them not to come any closer that the dog will bite (he wouldn’t have). They stopped approaching me but then made lewd comments about my body. example: ʺdat ass tho.”
– Anonymous
Location: Louisville, KY
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
I was born and raised in a society that we can call a “Mannish Society.” In Afghanistan in families and even in every part of our society, it is the man who speaks and decides to do as he wishes. The last words are being said by men not women. Afghanistan society is a male dominant society.
In such environment it is really really hard for women and girls to live normally. Among the numerous problems that females are confronting in Afghanistan, street harassment is more usual and steady steady and somehow it is being changed to a culture.
Why am I saying that street harassment is changing to a culture here in Afghanistan?
Because, majority of Afghans are illiterate and they believe and accept whatever the Mullas (some) say to them in Mosques. Mullahs allow men to engage in street harassment in some cases. Especially when a female walks in the streets with so-called inappropriate clothes, then according to their ideology men are allowed to say bad words to them and even physically harass or rape them. Why is doing this not a bad act? People and Mullahs would say because these girls or women are not practicing Islam and not wearing Hijab. This is the fact of our society!
When I was studying English, my classmate Maryam was very intelligent and beautiful. Because she was raised in Iran her clothes and style was a little different form other Afghan girls. I witnessed that many boys harassed her with bad words daily and some of them were my friends. All she could do was to remain silent because she did not want to make this issue bigger. But day by day this problem got serious and she lost her patience. She started arguing with those boys that were harassing her but she was alone, she failed. She left the class forever.
It hurt me a lot to see her in such condition. I tried many times to talk with my friends and stop them from harassing her but since I was younger than those boys, no one cared. I talked with our teacher to help me stop these acts, but he was not eager to help me as well.
After that incident whenever I see people harassing girls or women in streets and university I go to them and talk reasonably with them to stop them and explain to them that their act is wrong. I ask what if it happens to their sister or mother, what then?
Now it is the time for everyone to start vanishing this bad and shameful culture. Yes, if we want to change then we can. We can start it right now! As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” By using social media, TV and radio spots, adding the topic of not harassing females to school books and explaining the negative impacts of street harassment, we can bring changes.
– Shafi Bajauri
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
I was walking with my girl friend to another friend’s house at 3 a.m. along Red River Street. It was midsummer in Texas, so it was sweltering even that late, and we were prepared for the weather and the time of night with our tank tops and pajama bottoms (not that it matters). A lone car passed us and the driver honked at us, which I consider harassment. I responded with my middle fingers and to our mutual surprise, the car pulled a U-turn, which was terrifying. Instead of kidnapping us, they rolled down a window and pulled out a gun and began to shoot paint balls at us. They didn’t hit me, but they hit my friend a few times, and she had huge bruises where they hit her for days. At the end of the ordeal we were somehow left feeling like the stupid jerks of the situation which really puts the icing on the shitcake.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
At the point in development when they start teaching kids in school to beware of strangers and generally keep themselves safe, they should also teach children not to become perpetrators of violence in attitude, speech, or action.
– Chunnuh
Location: Hancock Shopping Center in Austin, TX
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
Today I was running around a lake by my apartment and a guy kept following me on his bike until he finally decided to slap my butt and bike away. I felt violated, upset, angry, mad, scared, confused, irritated, and shocked. This is not the first time I have been harassed or had my body touched without wanting to. I don’t understand how some people don’t understand it is not okay to touch another person’s body without asking them.
– LA D
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
When I was a college freshman, I lived in a communal dorm. An obnoxious group of guys would always hang out in the lobby and call out sexual slurs at me as I came and left my room. It was humiliating. I found myself trying to run past them before they noticed me, and even covering up my body so as not to draw too much attention to myself.
One day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. They whistled and said ʺdamn!ʺ really loudly. So I turned around, marched right up to them (at least eight of them) and shouted, ʺWhat do you expect to happen from this? Do you really think a girl will turn around and say ‘Oh wow that’s such a compliment, being told my ass is fine by these complete strangers. Do you want to hook up?’ Has it worked for you yet?ʺ By the look on their stunned faces, I answered for them, ʺNo, I didn’t think so. Get a life!ʺ and stormed off. The rush I felt was incomparable to anything else. I felt strong – like I could take care of myself. And while they did continue to harass other girls, they kept their eyes off of me!
Bryanna
Location: Clarksville, TN
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea