Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Street Fighter

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An Indian newspaper The Telegraph has a great article discussing the street harassment women in Calcutta regularly face, how women tend to react, what they can do about it, and the challenges they may face if they try to respond to or report harassers. Sreyashee Bhaduri, a 30 year old woman who decided to take action against her harasser, is mentioned throughout the piece. I recommend reading the whole article if you have time.

Things they say you can do if harassed (they also noted potential roadblocks with each):

  1. Make a scene or embarrass the harasser; scream; let people know what happened.
  2. Try to solicit help from other people and/or police  nearby.
  3. File a police report and know your rights.
  4. Lodge a FIR (first information report), which is the first step in taking legal action against a harasser.

Street harassment law in India:

Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 509 of the IPC states: “Whoever intending to insult the modesty of a woman utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound, shall be heard, or that such gesture, or object, shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon, the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend, to one year, or with fine, or with both.”Section 294 speaks of obscene acts and language in public being punishable with imprisonment or fine or both. Section 354 also says assault or criminal force used on a woman to outrage her modesty is punishable.

Final thought:

“‘Most people refuse to take street sexual harassment as a serious crime. It is something that is often taken for granted — something that is bound to happen,’ says Saptarshi Chakraborty, a 22-year-old engineer and a core member of Blank Noise, a volunteer-based collective that deals with issues around street sexual harassment.

Some will laugh. Some will say: ‘If she has such a problem, why walk on a road?’ Some will say: ‘Ki hoyechhe Didi, chhere din!’ (It’s a small thing; let him go!)

Then you feel like giving up. You may even feel tempted to feel as the men in the crowd feel: that it doesn’t matter. But just remember your feeling of outrage once more.'”

This last part rings true to me. Some days it seems like it’d be so easy to give up fighting street harassment, but sadly (because I wish street harassment would end already) I always come across some new outrage that motivates me a while longer.

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Street Harassment Round Up – April 19

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Stories:

Holla Back DC posted many compelling posts this week, but one of my favorites was about male allies: “Can you imagine the affect this would have if enough men stepped in and said this every time they saw sexual harassment occurring? We would see a positive change.”

On this blog, a contributor wrote about her success in stopping chronic harassers near her workplace.

Activism/Recognition:

ineveraskToday Blank Noise held a street harassment event in Bombay (visit their site for an update on how it went), where women were invited to bring an article of clothing they’d been harassed in and wear clothing they’d always wanted to wear but hadn’t for fear of harassment. Details of the event were e-mailed to the participants with promise of public participation.

Street harassment-focused self defense class by Defend Yourself occurred in DC on April 18. Read my post about attending it.

Emily May of HollaBack NYC has been selected for the Women Media Center’s second class of Progressive Women’s Voices (PWV) for 2009. The program aims to make women visible and powerful in the media everyday and the selected women like Emily are the “go-place for journalists looking for women sources, experts, and commentators.” Emily was selected in great part because of her work on HollaBack and her expertise on street harassment. Congrats, Emily, way to get the issue out there in mainstream media.

Upcoming Events:

April 22, a RightRides volunteer orientation in New York

April 29, Holla Back DC! blog launch party in Washington, DC

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Street Harassment Round Up – April 12

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I’m trying something new now that the volume of street harassment stories and activism is increasing: a periodic round up of recent street harassment stories and activism initiatives from my online allies.

Stories:

The new Holla Back DC is in full swing and posted several stories this week, including “The Gauntlet of Sexual Harassment.” A woman shares how, now that the weather is warmer, she’s been getting harassed daily on her walking commute.

Via Gothamist
Via Gothamist

Holla Back NYC reports about a horrifying story where two young women who refused the advances of a Brooklyn man in a pizza shop one late night were savagely beaten by him. He fractured the jaw of one woman as she tried to call the police and he hit the other woman so much that her eyes were swollen shut and she’ll have to have reconstructive surgery. The police were able to track down the perp via his restaurant credit-card receipts and he turned himself in last Wednesday. He’s been charged with two counts of felony assault but he’s since been released on $5,000 bail – what?! That’s it? And now he’s out and about, able to beat up other women…or the same women again… great.

Activism:

Holla Back Asheville (NC) launched so if you live in that area, send them your street harassment stories. They held an event called Hey Baby this past Friday. A write-up about the event is forthcoming. Welcome HB Asheville!

Blank Noise in India is engaging in a new project “Make a Sign” and encourages everyone to make a street sign about street harassment. The deadline is May 17, 2009, and all images will be included in their flickr account and three will be tested out in public. What a great idea! Check out their blog to learn more and participate.

Holla Back Toronto was featured in McClungs magazine last week. Read the article “Ain’t no hollaback girl.” Congrats HB Tononto!

And if you’re in the DC area, don’t forget that next Saturday, April 18, is Defend Yourself’s street harassment-focused self defense class.

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Fearless Karnataka Round Up

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takebackthenightVisit Blank Noise to find out how the Fearless Karnataka/Taking Back the Night activism went in India over the weekend. They will be posting narratives and so far have posted photos.

I found two news articles about their activism. From NDTV.com:

“On International Women’s Day, the message on the streets of Bangalore was loud and clear — public spaces belong to everyone and all of us need to raise our voices to stop violence against women.  ‘Fearless Karnataka’, a group formed after recent attacks on women in the city, led the way with street plays, protests and a late night event to celebrate womanhood.

Talking directly to the people, members of the group staged a street play to catch the interest and hoping to change the mindset of Bangalore’s public. This street play was an attempt to get the public to get involved, to react to violence against women if they see it and not just watch passively.”

From  The Times of India:

“After protesting in front of the DG & IGP’s office on Saturday, members of Fearless Karnataka had an ice-breaker with citizens on Women’s Day. They spoke to people on the streets around the spots where women were recently attacked, and made them put thumb impressions on a survey form asking: How will you, as a bystander, react to an attack? Posters were put up and flyers distributed.”

You can read some of the survey responses in the article. I am in awe of these brave people!

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Applauding Activists in Egypt and India

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In recognition of International Women’s Day, here’s a taste of the latest street harassment activism occurring in Egypt and India.

The Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights has been engaged in a widespread campaign to end the sexual harassment of women in the country, including on the streets (street harassment). Last year they conducted and published a study about the high rate of harassment that made headlines around the world and, combined with two high profile street harassment cases last year, may lead to better laws this year. Currently, they are preparing to launch a HarassMap project later in 2009:

“This project will implement a system in Egypt for reporting incidences of sexual harassment via SMS messaging. This tool will give women a way to anonymously report incidences of sexual harassment as soon as they happen, using a simple text message from their mobile phone. By mapping these reports online, the entire system will act as an advocacy, prevention, and response tool, highlighting the severity and pervasiveness of the problem.”

When my life settles down some, I’d be very interested in trying out something similar in the U.S.! take-back-the-night-3809

In India, where street harassment is also a huge problem, Blank Noise activists have been engaged in various forms of activism against street harassment for years. Tonight they are holding a Taking Back the Night event:

“We are Taking Back The Night because we want to feel safe in our city. We are taking back the night because for too long our relationship with our city has been fear based. We Take Back the Night with you…Take Back The Night invites individuals, organisations, collectives, groups all to reclaim their city streets at night….Join us to intervene in the neighbourhoods where recent attacks on women took place. Pick a neighbourhood and call the coordinator for location details. Volunteers will hand out testimonials; engage with the public in discussion examining how we can act against violence (bystander ‘polls’ have been made and printed already to trigger discussion); drive people to the street theatre performances by Maraa in the Indiranagar, Ulsoor locations.”

I applaud both organizations for their amazing work to make public places safer for women in their countries.

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