Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

#DoYouKazoo Anti-Street Harassment Action by #BreakthroughCatalysts

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Prepare Inc. - Debunk Myths 5A committed group of people, brought together by Breakthrough Catalyst trainings, strive to use collective knowledge, energy, connections and commitment to end/reduce street harassment through cultural change. Breakthrough Catalysts and friends want to help raise awareness and promote a culture shift that discredits common street harassment myths and provide easy and effective responses to invalidate them with our posters and social media. We stand in solidarity with other organizations and individuals during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Anti-Street Harassment Week, from April 10th to 16th, 2016.

Prepare Inc. - Debunk Myths 3We chose the symbol and sound of a Kazoo to promote the idea that tools work best to call out rape culture and myths about gender violence, not to prevent it. The use of the Kazoo is inspired by a joke by comic Cameron Esposito, who wishes for a rape Kazoo instead of a rape whistle, in the hopes that its sound is more appealing and will garner help if she is attacked.

Prepare Inc. - Debunk Myths 4Key concepts:

  • Reinventing the “rape whistle” as a Kazoo
  • “Sounding the alarm” about the issue of street harassment
  • Changing culture through positive humor (vs. put-down humor) as Kazoos are often thought of as whimsical, fun, non-serious musical instruments anyone can play. Kazoos have a history of use as tools of social protest.

Feel free to use and share these images with the hashtag #DoYouKazoo!

Prepare Inc. - Debunk Myths

Karen Chasen is the Vice President of Prepare Inc.

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Today’s Events – April 16

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Virtual Events:

April 16 | 4:30 p.m. in Delhi, 6 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur (7 a.m. EDT): @INBreakthrough, @FemIndProject and @PixelProject will co-host a Tweet chat about cultural differences in harassment and reactions.

No Moleste di Strada has designed thought-provoking stickers and are placing them in public spaces highly affected by street harassment. They intend to creatively raise awareness on the phenomenon by also asking peoples’ contribution. They encourage our followers to spot the stickers, send us the pictures, and suggest us new ideas! Find the stickers on their Facebook page, and share both online and in public spaces near you!

 

International Events:

Bahamas: Hollaback! Bahamas will be hosting a chalk art event at College of the Bahamas in collaboration with the PRO Society (art club) as well as a free self-defense workshop for College of the Bahamas students.

Canada (Toronto): The Street Talk Project is launching their new exhibit! Inspired by the Take Back The Night movement and #yesallwomen, The Street Talk Project is a public art installation and gallery exhibition that addresses how women navigate the city and the socialized sexism that governs their bodies on a day-to-day basis. Using humour and subversive advertising, this project will bring attention to the ways in which public space is navigated differently by different bodies; address how sexism is felt viscerally on a day-to-day basis; and further the belief that we are all responsible for making public spaces accessible and welcoming for all bodies. [Exhibit Launch is April 16, 7-8pm at the Whippersnapper Gallery in Toronto.]

Colombia: OCAC Colombia will host ANY AGGRESSION WITHOUT RESPONSE. The Colectiva Urgente Anárquica y Sinverguenza (C.U.C.A.S), will do a workshop teaching feminist defense. We are still waiting to confirm the place, so please be aware. [2pm] | JUEVES 16 DE ABRIL – 2PM. NINGUNA AGRESIÓN SIN RESPUESTA. A cargo de la Colectiva Urgente Callejera Anárquica y Sinverguenza (C.U.C.A.S), se realizará un taller de defensa feminista. Aun estamos a la espera de confirmar el lugar, entonces estén muy pendientes

France: Stop Harcelement de Rue will be going in subway and suburban trains, and a Paris train station in order to distribute flyers and to sensitize people to all the types of violence women have to go through in transports. During these events, they will be wearing a super-hero costume as the “Team Zero Relou” (no streetharassers team)! They will also hold a Artistic happening in the hall of the Gare du Nord station, where actors will play scenes of harassment (the public will not be made aware of it being acting until the end) [5pm Gare du Nord, Paris]

France: Stop Harcelement de Rue Lyon will hold a chalk walk [5 pm. Location: Quai Victor Augagneur]

France: Stop Harcelement de Rue Lille are holding a leaflet distribution at Lille Flandres subway station. [5 pm]

Nepal: This is the final day of Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj (Nepal Women Unity Society)‘s five day self-defense training with adolescent girls of the slum community.

United Kingdom: Hollaback! Nottingham is holding a clay workshop! They’ll be discussing street harassment and methods to deal with it while creating pieces for an upcoming exhibit [2pm at Nottingham Women’s Centre, 30 Chaucer Street, Nottingham UK. Women only please]

 

USA Events

California: Valley Crisis Center will have a button making machine where individuals can make/design their own button describing what they can do to fight street harassment/catcalling/degrading comments and also empower others to do the same. Today is your last day to snag one!  [Merced Community College  10-1PM]

Illinois: Volunteers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne campus are  holding a tabling event, and handing out buttons and sexual harassment resources [11a-1p, Main Quad]

Maryland:  UMBC’s Take Back the Night 2015: In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, join the Women’s Center on Commons Main Street Thursday, April 16th and let’s take back the night!!

Events and activities include:
– Community Resource Fair (begins at 6pm)
– Clothesline Project
– Survivor Speak Out Forum (begins at 6:30pm)
– March Against Sexual Violence
– FORCE Monument Quilt Making Opportunity and other art activism projects
and more!

[Women’s Center at UMBC 1000 Hilltop Circle, Commons 004 at 6 PM]

Minnesota: Hollaback! Twin Cities is hosting a chalking event at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. [7:30 to 9 p.m]

Nebraska: The sociology, queer alliance and radical notion clubs at Hastings College will be distributing bystander intervention flyers on campus.

New York: No Disrespect & The Safe OUTside the System Collective present: Free the Streets. Panel discussion making connections between sexualized, gendered, and police harassment + breakouts creating solutions through prevention, intervention, support, and accountability. [6:30-8:30 p.m. at Audre Lourde Project, 85 South Oxford Street, NYC]

Pennsylvania: SAFE at Temple University, Philadelphia, is holding a self-defense class. [6pm in Morgan Hall D301]

Pennsylvania: Touch Me Philly Productions will be debuting “Reasonable Fear: A Series on Street Harassment and Rape Culture.” Touch Me Philly Productions Presents two weeks of theatre and events exploring the topics of Street Harassment & Rape Culture. This series includes a main stage theatrical production, workshops, comedy, films & more. All designed to let you explore this topic in a safe atmosphere. Nine short plays were chosen from our open submission call to create our Main Stage Theatrical Production. Catch this show Thursdays – Saturdays April 16-18 & 23-25 at 8 p.m. | INFO

Massachusetts: Guerilla Feminism Boston is collecting short stories for their handmade zine, to be passed out during their Chalk Walk (see below). As they say, “As Black women, women of color, queer, trans women & gender nonconforming poc we’re often made to feel unsafe in our own communities due to gender, homophobia, race, sexuality, and gender expression. Often this affects our commutes to and from work, school, social events and other engagements.” To submit your story to be included in our zine, please email submissions to guerrillafeminismboston@gmail.com. We’re looking for artwork, poetry, stories of what it means to be YOU walking down the street, hanging out at a bar, interacting with the police, etc. Please keep these writings under 500 words. [Submit by April 16]

Virginia: Hollaback! RVA is hosting a chalk walk on the VCU campus! They invite you to visit their table to pick up candy, literature, and chalk. [VCU Campus in Richmond]

Washington:  Jaded at Club Contour, a weekly dance night with a heavy focus on safety in their community, is hosting a dance night and distributing pamphlets explaining what street harassment is and why it’s so dangerous, and (if feasible) set up a large poster board where people can write their own stories. [9pm-2am at Club Contour, 807 1st Ave Seattle, WA]

Washington, DC: American University will host a chalking on campus [10 a.m. – 1 p.m.]

Washington D.C.: Collective Action for Safe Spaces will be hosting their 6th anniversary party, “Lights, Camera, Collective Action!” [6-9pm at Room & Board, 1840 14 St., NW]

 

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Updates and Actions from India Since the #DelhiGangRape

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Sunday, a young woman was brutally gang raped on a bus in Delhi, India, and is fighting for her life in a hospital. There’s rightfully been an explosion of outcry in the days since then. Here’s a sampling of updates, photos, and actions from groups in India.

I Stand for Safe Delhi said,

“We would like to thank you all for coming to India Gate today, our protest reached out to over 50,000 people across the globe. Thank you for your support!” (View more images)

Breakthrough said,

“We were at a protest outside the police commissioner’s office yesterday, and there are tons of them happening all over the place (about 4 or 5 major ones have happened and there are two more that are going to be taking place over the weekend).”

They also created this image to encourage people to speak out and interrupt violence!

Members of GotStared.At participated in protests.

There are several activities/protests planned this weekend, including:

 Blank Noise launched an “I Pledge” campaign:

In the wake of the #DelhiGangRape what do YOU as citizen pledge to make your city safe?

#SafeCityPledge

Eg: ” I pledge to NOT to tell my daughter/ mum/ sister/ girls “Be Safe” . Instead- go out. Be Visible. Be an Action Hero #SafeCityPledge

1. Add your pledge to the comments below
2. Change your status update ” I pledge to _ _ #SafeCityPledge
3. Tweet your pledge with #DelhiGangRape #SafeCityPledge

From the authors of the book Why Loiter?

“We need more people out on the streets, not less. We are safer when there are more women (and more men) on the streets. When shops are open, when restaurants are open, when there are hawkers and yes, even sex workers on the street, the street is a safer space for us all. All of these protests taking place are often after dark, and there are many women and men but numbers make it safe. We need to populate our streets. In order to do that we need to make them more inviting and in order to do which, we need the mindset of the city to change from desiring empty streets to wanting people on the streets. We must ensure that this gruesome gang-rape does not go out as a message that “women are in danger and should stay home”.”

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16 Days, Day 15: India

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During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (Nov. 25 – Dec. 10), Stop Street Harassment is featuring activists who took action against street harassment this year, one new country per day.

Day #15: India

India is one of the countries that has seen the most activism on this issue, including by government officials and the police. Here are some of the highlights from the year.

Activists/Organizations:

* More than 200 people participated in a rally to protest street sexual violence in Delhi in the spring. In Kannur, a district in Kerala, thousands of people participated in a similar protest.

* Breakthrough, an organization based in Delhi, created a street harassment bystander poster campaign in the spring. In the fall, they created an anti-harassment campaign for Diwali.

* College students in Mumbai launched a campaign called Chal Hatt Tharki.

* Women in Mumbai created a video about street harassment.

* Blank Noise curated a series of stories about people’s first recollection of experiencing street harassment called Recall.

* In early 2012, male ally Dhruv Arora launched the website GotStared.At where people can post photos of the clothes they were wearing when harassed along with their story. What really went viral though were graphics like the one on the right, which, once posted on Facebook, were shared widely. In the fall, GotStared.At won the prestigious UN World Summit Youth Award in the category Power 2 Women!

Government:

* In Guwahti, the police force introduced a sword-carrying special division comprised of 100 women specifically to tackle street harassment.

* In Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut town, the police started posting photos of street harassers as a way to shame them and deter future harassment incidents.

* Officials in Madhya Pradesh decided to revoke the driver’s licenses of street harassers.

* Most impressive of all, last month India’s Supreme Court acknowledged that sexual harassment is a rampant problem, especially on the streets and on public transportation, and one that negatively impacts the lives of the harassed persons. So the Supreme Court issued a country-wide standard for addressing the problem.

 

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