Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Wanted: More Social Media Volunteers!

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The annual week of awareness, Meet Us On the Street: Street Harassment Awareness Week 2013, will be here soon (April 7-13) and I need more help spreading the word through the various social media accounts.

If you’re interested in helping me and the existing volunteers manage the Twitter and Facebook accounts and help contribute to the Tumblr and Pinterest accounts through mid-April, please email stopstreetharassment AT yahoo.com by Monday, Feb. 25.

When you email me, please let me know your name, where you’re located (state/country), send links to social media accounts you manage, and write 2-3 sentences about why you care about ending street harassment.

Thanks!

Holly

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USA: How the Media Normalizes Street Harassment

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By: Erin McKelle, SSH Correspondent

As we know, street harassment is a serious problem and the vast majority of women will experience street harassment at some point in their lives. It’s a product of sexism and bigoted attitudes that say women are sexual objects. But not everyone sees it this way; in fact, many people accept it as a normal experience and something that is just part of being a woman.

The media is one of the worst perpetuators of street harassment normalcy. There are so many instances on television that show women wanting to experience harassment or who are disappointed at not being catcalled or leered at. Think about it….the classic scene of two women walking by a construction site, one being harassed and one not. The one who’s not then proceeds to think she isn’t attractive, is getting old, etc. I’ve personally seen this particular scenario play out many, many times on television.

Just look the 2012 Fiat Super bowl commercial. A man is staring at a woman, she sees him and slaps him for his behavior. Then, she acts very seductive and is touching the man sexually. But the twist is as she leans in for a kiss, the woman in the commercial turns into a car! Advertisers trying to make this instance a joke perpetuates the idea that street harassment isn’t something to take seriously and that it’s perfectly acceptable to leer and gawk at women that you see on the street!

Or take a look at this Noxzema advertisement. Clearly, it is promoting the idea that there is something sexy about being harassed on the street. It’s not really anything to be concerned about, in fact, it’s flattering! This is clearly a very disturbing and infuriating ad, as it is selling the idea of being harassed. That is how they are trying to convince you to purchase their product. With Noxzema, you too can be harassed on the street!

Obviously, we have to eradicate these ideas and as a culture stop buying into the idea that street harassment is in any way normal or okay. It just perpetuates the harassment by making people think that there is nothing wrong with harassment when clearly, there is. It’s called harassment for a reason. Normalizing it is going to make the problem not seem like much of a problem and from this, will ultimately make it worse. Let’s stop street harassment and let’s stop consuming or buying into media that has other ideas.

Erin is an e-activist and blogger based in Ohio. You can find more of her work here and here.

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“I NEVER let an instance of harassment pass without doing something.”

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I have been street harassed for as long as I can remember. I am now 41. As a kid and teenager, I was usually stunned and just tried to ignore it.

In my twenties, I angrily yelled at harassers and was even known to keep small rocks in my pocket and throw them. NOT recommended. (My ex used to call me her “stone-throwing urban warrioress.”)

Lately, inspired by the kick-ass, global, anti street harassment movement, I have become more confrontational in what I think are productive ways, I finally get that this is not OK. Instead of feeling eternally powerless, because “this is just how life is,” I feel clear that this is illegal and a violation of my human rights. I NEVER let an instance of harassment pass without doing something. And I’ve learned a lot in the process.

What do I do?

I just confront, talk back, even if just in passing. Often by making a public declaration that others can hear, the harasser ends up being shamed (which is appropriate.)

Here are some recent examples: a guy keeps trying to talk to me at an outdoor cafe. I let him know that I do not want company, but I feel uncomfortable because he continues to look at me from his table. Finally, he gets up to leave, and as he passes my table, whispers something (I don’t even remember what.) At that point, I yell, loudly, after him, “Stop harassing me!” Yes, people turned and looked, and he hurried away.

Often, guys do the quiet, gross whispered thing as they pass, and I always exclaim loudly, “What did you say?” They always deny they said anything, so I continue to make a point (in front of others, of course) that he’s lying and is a street harasser. Again, I am clear that the shame is on him.

Society is changing, awareness is growing, and each instance — even just the super-ignorant kissy or clucking sound someone makes from across the street — is an opportunity to help educate another misguided human being. And that is what they are: human beings. Just like me. Not all-powerful. Not entitled to more freedom on the streets. Human beings, capable of being embarrassed, capable of change.

Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

Just saying something — as kindly as possible — to let them know what street harassment is, that it is illegal, and that they should think twice about it in the future. It’s amazing how often they apologize, and generally want to get away as quickly as possible (because, yes, THEY are embarrassed– and they also know full well that they were in the wrong.)

– Anonymous

 

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Delhi: 95% of women and girls feel unsafe in public spaces

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Via UN Women:

“A just released household survey conducted by UN Women and the International Center for Research on Women from October to November 2012 reveals that at that time, only 5 per cent of women and girls ranked public spaces in Delhi as ‘safe’ from sexual violence.

The data was collected as part of the baseline survey of the Safer Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls Initiative by UN Women in partnership with the Government of Delhi and the NGO JAGORI. The programme in New Delhi is one of the initial pilots in five cities: Cairo (Egypt), Kigali (Rwanda), New Delhi (India), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Quito (Ecuador). It is part of the larger Global Safe Cities Initiative which aims to empower women and their communities in diverse settings.

The household survey in India was conducted among a representative sample of 2001 women and girls and 1003 men and boys in the age group of 16-49 years of age in Delhi. The data was collected from all over New Delhi: Malviya Nagar, Badarpur, Molarband, Zakir Nagar, Hari Nagar, Shahpurjat and Mayur Vihar Phase-I.

Providing a stark picture of the daily realities faced by women and girls, 51 per cent of men reported that they had themselves perpetrated sexual harassment or violence against women and girls in public spaces in Delhi. In the study, 25 per cent said they had done so in the last six months.

In cases of sexual violence, many men blamed women for their behaviour. In the study, three out of four agreed with the statement ‘Women provoke men by the way they dress’ and two men out of five fully or partially agreed with that ‘Women moving around at night deserve to be sexually harassed’.

Nearly 73 per cent of women said they do not feel safe in their own surroundings as well, and reported feeling unsafe all the time.”

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Feb. 19 Day of Action: Safer Transit System in Washington, DC

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Note: This is the report submitted to the Huairou Commission. This meeting was part of a global day of action called Delhi and Beyond: Concrete Actions for Safer Cities, a chance for grassroots women and women’s organizations to partner with government authorities and concretely build safer cities. Fifty cities participated. The day was organized by the Huairou Commission, Women in Cities International, Women and Habitat Network Latin America, Jagori, GROOTS International, ICWIF and FEMUM-ALC.

The actions taken during the day will be presented during the UN Commission on the Status of Women on March 8, 2013.

Attendees of the meeting at WMATA’s offices in Washington, DC

Report: This morning, Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS) staff member Renee Davidson and board member Ben Merrion and Stop Street Harassment founder Holly Kearl met with the following key staff at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Deputy Chief Campbell, Zina Gowan, employee communications, and Caroline Lucas, who heads the task force on addressing sexual harassment.

In February 2012, CASS organized individuals to testify about sexual harassment on the WMATA system during the performance oversight hearing of the transit authority before the DC City Council.

Out of those testimonies – and the many stories members of the public submitted to WMATA agreeing that this is a problem – WMATA formed a task force in early March 2012 to address sexual harassment on the system.

This meeting was to touch base nearly a year later to see what has been achieved and to discuss what we can do during the second year to continue to address the issue.

Main achievements this year and goals for next year:

Achievements:

1. New online form for reporting incidents

2. Starting to track all forms of sexual harassment (previously they only tracked harassment that was criminal)

3. A transit-wide PSA campaign

4. An internal awareness campaign among WMATA staff

5. A new law to make it easier to report/prosecute indecent exposure in DC

6. 126 reports of harassment

Goals:

1. An improved online form that can lead to better reporting

2. A second phase of the PSA campaign this summer or fall

3. Training for all WMATA employees

4. More efforts to spread the word about how to report and the importance of reporting.

5. Working with Virginia legislators to pass the same law that passed in DC to make it easier to prosecute indecent exposure. Maryland already had this law before DC.

We are very pleased with the outcome of the meeting and with the continued commitment of WMATA to making the Washington, DC-area public transportation system free from harassment for all its riders.

Stay tuned for more information about the meeting and what DC-area transit riders can do to improve reporting.

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