Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Well, that’s why you’re by yourself”

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Today, I was walking down Commercial Drive, heading home after having dinner with a friend. A group of men were hanging out outside of a sports bar. One of them ordered me to smile. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that ordering me to smile is a surefire way to annoy me. So I turned and looked at the man.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why not?” He replied.

“It’s my business what I choose to do with my face,” I said, in a calm but firm voice. Then I turned and kept walking.

“Well, that’s why you’re by yourself,” he yelled after me. I gave him the finger without turning around. I am amazed that some men feel so free to comment on a woman’s facial expression and apparent relationship status.

– Margaret

Location: Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

 

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Are you up for the Winter Break Challenge?

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Have you heard of SAFER (Students Active for Ending Rape)? They are an amazing organization that works on campus sexual assault policy reform.

In my day job I work at AAUW and earlier this year I collaborated with SAFER to create a campus sexual assault program in a box. Last month I co-presented with SAFER at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference about how to make campuses safer without placing mobility restrictions on students. In short, I support and want to help promote SAFER’s work.

Today they are launching a Winter Break Challenge for college students. From SAFER:

Today marks the one year anniversary of the SAFER and V-Day Campus Accountability Project! CAP is a nation-wide effort to build a database of college/university sexual assault policies, and encourage students to push for change in sexual violence prevention and response on their campus. We currently have 130 policies published in our public, searchable database. Our goal is to reach 200 by Janurary 31, 2011, but we need your help. This winter break, we’re challenging college students across the country to take a look at their school’s policy, and let us know what awesome work your school is doing and what needs serious improvement.

If you’ve been reading the SAFER’s blog, you know a little about why policy is such an integral part of the anti-violence movement. But for a recap, let this video (with subtitles, made by one of our fabulous interns) break it down for you:

We hope you register on our site and check out the database, and if your school isn’t there, take some time this winter to use our step-by-step policy analysis form to submit your school. If your school is there already, or if you’re no longer a student, please tell your friends at other schools to check out their policies, and spread the word about the project via your own blogs/facebook/twitter. All students should know exactly what resources their schools offer (or don’t offer) and that they have the power to hold their schools accountable for making their campus SAFER. You’ll also be helping us gather a completely unique and super important set of data about best and worst practices at schools across the country. We will eventually be able to use your info to advocate for large-scale change!

You can find go here to find the full press release about CAP and the Winter Break Challenge. Ann was actually kind enough to introduce the project here when it debuted last year, and you can visit her post, or SAFER and V-Day’s websites, to read a little more about campus sexual assault and how this all got started. Hope to see your school represented soon!

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“You are delicious”

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I always, I mean always witnessed men saying, “You are delicious”, “I want to lick you pussy”, with me and my sister, and every female. A few times I was touched, so was my sister.

– KS

Location: City: Goiania, State: Goias, Country: Brazil

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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Unsafe in downtown Cleveland

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The other night, I went out for drinks with a couple of friends in downtown Cleveland. As we were walking back to our car, a man starts shouting out a car window that he likes one of our asses. He goes on and on and then finally yells as the they turn the corner, “I will not eat your pussy if you do not suck my cock.” I was worried they were going to drive the same way we were walking, but thankfully they turned the other way. I was worried they were going to stop.

– Anonymous

Location: Cleveland, OH

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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“Most of the time the men don’t say anything, they just try to touch me”

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I hate it!!! I thought it was only my problem because I always get told “take it as a compliment, he thinks you are pretty.”

I was harassed so many times. Mostly in tram or bus.

I am a very shy person, I never go to clubs or bars or suspect dark streets. I am not beautiful, I don’t wear sexy clothes, I only wear skirts in hot summer ( they cover my knees) and then I always get honked or yelled at out of cars.

But most of the time the men don’t say anything, they just try to touch me.

One day in tram I was sitting on a doubleseat and all the other doubleseats and most of the singleseats were free (there were only 3 people in the tram) a man came in and sat next to me on the other seat of my doubleseat. He came so close, he almost lay on my lap and leaned on me. I was stuck between him and the window. He read a big newspaper and every time he turned a page he tried to touch my breast. I was intimidated and wanted to cry and couldn’t move. On my station I asked him to let me out but he didn’t. So I had to climb over his lap/legs.

One day I was shopping and a guy followed me 45 minutes saying, “I love you… I love you… I love you…” I tried to ignore him and run through the stores but he didn’t disappear. It was getting dark and I was afraid to go home because I thought he’d follow me.

One day I was waiting in line. Behind me some boys (14 years old I think). They were laughing dirty at me and then they touched my ass. Everyone, one after the other. I told them to stop about 5 times. They kept on touching and laughing. I felt so helpless. They stopped when I kicked one of them in the balls.

One day while I was waiting for the bus a man tried to touch my breast getting his hand under my shirt!!!

One day I was in tram (of course) with my girls. The guy had his hand in his pocket and… Staring at us all the time. An older lady shouted at him but he didnt react he kept on staring at us and masturbating.

One day in tram (where else) a guy came and sat vis-a-vis. He tried to look into my eyes and I tried to look away. He wanted to force me to look into his eyes!!! Then he started to rub his legs on my legs. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. I moved my legs from left to right from right to left to get away from his legs but his legs always followed.
When I told this story a (male) friend, he just said: “The guy probably thought, a pretty girl alone, looking sad (I am always looking a little pissed), maybe she doesn’t have a boyfriend.” So do I have to put a fake smile on my face to show pervert guys “I am happy and sexual supplied“?

And another guy said, “Some woman are looking so appealing that some man can’t hold back” I should understand it and maybe I was dressed to “slutty“ (even if I was, nobody has to touch me!!!). In this situation I was wearing jeans, sneakers and parka, it was cold outside!!!

One day (waiting for the tram – of course) a guy tried to touch me and I moved away from him. Then he stared at my legs, into my eyes, at my legs, into my eyes… licking his lips the whole time. What was he trying to say? He is a cannibal and wants to eat my legs???

Several other times when I was walking down the street and men tried to talk me into their cars.

Several other times men came to me saying “(wanna) fuck?” And when I got angry saying “it was just a question, you can answer with no, take it as a compliment.”

For about 15 years I have to deal with it. I hoped it stopped when I get older but it doesn’t.

When my 55 year old co-worker was waiting for the tram (of course) and no other people were around, a guy (20 years) stared at her. Then he said, “You are good looking. Do you want to sleep with me?” When she arrived at work she was still shocked and shaking.

I hate it soooo much. I dont know how to stop it!!!

Oh wait, I should take it as a compliment…

– Anonymous

Location: Germany

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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