Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Feel very frustrated and powerless”

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I was walking with my girlfriend and we came to a red light at an intersection. We crossed the road when it was safe and heard a passenger in a van, stopped at an intersection yell “faggot” from behind us. I turned my heard and he yelled again, “yea I’m talking about you”.

We ignored the disgusting man and kept walking. As we’re now almost back to our car, I hear the man yelling more obscenities as they’re driving passed us. It was difficult to understand what he was saying this time, but i heard the words “my friend… Your….pussy”. I’m not sure how to feel about this as this is not the first time i’ve been targeted in this manner.

It is also no surprise that this behaviour has come from a “white” australian. I felt very angry and although it has been a few hours, i still feel very frustrated and powerless because people like that – are driving around doing whatever they want. I feel targeted because i am asian and not white. I have no other reason why i would be targeted. Based on my past experiences, it was because i am asian.

– RN

Location: Pedestrian crossing, Sydney, nsw, Australia

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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2016: 10 of Our Achievements

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THANK YOU to everyone who made our work possible this year! Here are 10 highlights from this year.

** You can read more and see photos in our Annual Report. **

1. Oversaw the 6th annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Groups in 36 countries and 18 U.S. states and D.C. participated through organizing street demonstrations, flyering, wheatpasting, sidewalk chalking, tweet chats, and workshops.

2. Partnered with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and Defend Yourself, to launch the first-ever national street harassment hotline in the USA! More than 110 people have used it so far.

3. Recruited and worked with three cohorts of 24 total blog correspondents from 10 countries. They each wrote monthly articles about street harassment and/or activism in their communities across their four month cohort.

4. Received more than 200 street harassment story submissions to the SSH blog.

5. Nearly 300,000 people visited the website and there were more than 532,000 page views.

6. Worked for a fourth year on an anti-harassment transit campaign with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Collective Action for Safe Spaces. One of our big successes was designing and launching our third wave of anti-harassment ads. We also worked with WMATA on the first-ever transit-wide survey on sexual harassment (results) and an outreach day at five Metro stations during International Anti-Street Harassment Week. At our encouragement, WMATA also began holding sexual harassment training for their bus operators.

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7. Advised Runner’s World on their women’s safety survey that 4,670 runners took. SSH supporter Michelle Hamilton wrote an article about the survey and street harassment + running that is in the magazine’s December issue. SSH is mentioned. SSH also joined the Runner’s World Podcast #28 on the subject.

8. Received more than 100 media mentions, including in the New York Times, BBC World News TV, Washington Post, USA Today, UpWorthy, Runner’s World, HLN TV, NPR, and Teen Vogue.

9. Spoke at 12 events, including campus and community talks in DC, MD, MN, NE, NY, and OH. This includes speaking at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, International Summit to End Sexual Violence, and the Global Girl Media National #GirlsGovern Town Hall.

10. Received $1,500 in funding from the PinPoint Foundation and $12,500 in donations from individuals.

The SSH board also issued a statement following the U.S. presidential election. We will continue doing our work, no matter what.

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“I no longer wanted to be beautiful, just sure-footed and militant, shouting back”

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The first time a man hollered at me in the street
i was barely 13
and managed a few lungfuls of air before freezing in terror
but thought
i might be beautiful

the second time a man hollered at me in the street
he told me to smile
and i did, with a lump in my throat
because i have been taught to please others
and i thought
i might be beautiful

the third time a man hollered at me in the street
telling me he’d like to suck my pussy
i felt so much more than i could explain
and blamed myself
but thought
i might be beautiful

the fourth time a man hollered at me in the street
i learned this is how men act
and i forgave
because i have been taught to forgive
and i thought
i might be beautiful

the fifth time a man hollered at me in the street
his gaze like a heat-seeking missile
i was so conscious of my body
in public space
it felt like a battleground
– for him, a playground

and his approval filled me with shame
and i no longer
wanted to be beautiful
just sure-footed and militant
shouting back

F**K YOU!

– Michelle Ryder

Location: USA

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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“I will continue to be sensitive and be vocal about this issue”

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Where do I begin? I, unfortunately, have so many stories. As a victim of street and sexual harassment, this is something I had to learn to never shy away from speaking about. I have been told I’m too sensitive and I should let it slide – to hell with that mentality. I will continue to be sensitive and be vocal about this issue.

My most recent incident was with a man (working as security) following me around Georgetown, D.C. He was persistent in trying to get to know me: my name, my number, and where I was going. I told him to leave me alone, and my response made him more aggressive. He grabbed my left arm and demanded an answer from me. I pushed him away and told him to leave me alone, again. Lucky for me, it was busy that night, and I was able to escape him between the crowd. I rushed into a hotel and stayed in the bathroom for 20 minutes – to catch my breath and make sure he was gone.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Raise more awareness and have men step in and help us. We need all the help we can get. I am fed up.

– AAA

Location: M St./Georgetown

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