Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Second Street Harassment Study in Chile

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Posted with the permission of Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero Chile

* New study shows that serious street harassment practices such as touching, exhibitionism and masturbation affect two in every five people on average.

* High percentage of citizens agree that sexual harassment in streets should be punished.

SANTIAGO, 19 March.- This week (March, 16th), at the former Congress, the Observatorio Cotra el Acoso Callejero – OCAC Chile (Observatory Against Street Harassment) presented the results of its second study, “Is Chile willing to punish street harassment? Study of characterization and opinion about street harassment and possible sanctions.”

Among the findings of the study, notes that three out of four people have suffered street harassment in Chile in the last 12 months, which means 75% of the population. In the case of women, the percentage reaches 85% and of men 55%.

The study also revealed that cases of street harassment are common: two in five people have suffered rubbing, touching or groping in public spaces, and 23% of women have experienced some form of serious harassment (persecution, exhibitionism, public masturbation).

Regarding the perception of the public on this issue, the results show that 84% of people totally disapprove any practice of harassment, whether “compliments”, groping or exhibitionism.

Another surprising fact was the boldness of the result of the question “Are you willing to punish street harassment?”. The answer was a resounding yes: over 90% of people said they would sanction any for of street harassment. What, in the Observatory’s opinion, demonstrates the need to legislate.

“This study reinforces our policy action: analyze a type of violence that has been naturalized and do not accept to have 12 years old girls who need to be “used to street harassment. The results of our second study demonstrate that we are facing a significant social change, Chileans think street harassment is harmful and should be punished”, said María José Guerrero, sociologist and parti of the OCAC Chile’s Studies team.

To conduct this study, OCAC Chile was sponsored by UN Women and European Union.

 

Press contacts

Observatorio contra el Acoso Callejero (OCAC)
Javiera Contreras
comunicaciones@ocacchile.org
+569 8136 7869

Programa de Fortalecimiento de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil que Promueven la Igualdad de Género ONU Mujeres – Unión European
Mónica Maureira M.
maureira.monica@gmail.com
+569 9959 4156

 

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OCAC Chile presents New Bill to Congress

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Posted with the permission of Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero Chile

VALPARAISO, 17 March.- In the month of International Women’s Day and the UN CSW 59th, which discusses the status of women in the world, Chile advances in the struggle for gender equality. In order to remove street harassment from the bad number of violence complaints, as well as prevent future attacks and protect victims, the Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero Chile – OCAC Chile (Observatory Against Street Harassment), Tuesday, presented to Congress the Bill “Law for Street Respect”, which seeks to enroll street harassment in Chilean law.

The project is divided into four main areas: it defines what is understood as street harassment, defines what acts shall constitute a minor offense, incorporates into the Penal Code the offense of street harassment and proposes alternative measures with an educational focus. In parallel, OCAC Chile submitted to the Executive power a set of recommendations to promote educational and preventive public policy, and thus not merely criminalize the problem.

“We believe that the Law for Street Respect is a vital step towards a more friendly and safe public space for everyone. This will be a tool that will prevent attacks and protect victims, besides having a preventive, educational and committed to gender equity approach”, said Maria Francisca Valenzuela, President of OCAC Chile.

The document is sponsored by the deputies Camila Vallejo (PC) and Karla Rubilar (Amplitud) and was signed by parliamentarians of cross militancy, as Giorgio Jackson (Independiente-RD), Daniella Cicardini (PS), Loreto Carvajal (PPD) Marcela Sabat (RN), Karol Cariola (PC), Vlado Mirosevic (Liberal), Yasna Provost (DC) and Gabriel Boric (Self-IA).

“It is important to legislate on street assaults so they do not become naturalized, since in an almost imperceptibly way they can affect psychologically who is the subject of such aggression. I hope we can have a transverse support this motion,” said Santiago’s  deputy, Giorgio Jackson.

For its part, the parliamentary Camila Vallejo, sponsor of the bill, said that “every day, women of all ages, regardless of socioeconomic status, are discriminated against and abused physically or psychologically. Laws like this are intended to assert our struggle for gender equality, for recognition of our humanity, so often trampled and abused”.

To develop this initiative, OCAC Chile had the support of UN Women and the European Union. If passed the law, Chile would join countries like Peru, and various nations of Europe which have already moved towards regulations that address, prevent and punish this form of violence.

For more information, OCAC has developed the respetocallejero.cl website, where you can download the full bill, review an explanatory video and read testimonials about street harassment in Chile.

Video with english subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm2cQ8wixPc&feature=youtu.be

Press Contacts

Observatory Against Street Harassment (OCAC Chile)

Javiera Contreras
comunicaciones@ocacchile.org
+569 8136 7869

Program to Strengthen Civil Society Organizations that Promote Gender Equality UN Women – European Union
Monica M. Maureira
maureira.monica@gmail.com
+569 9959 4156

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New anti-sexual harassment bill proposed in Chile

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An anti-sexual harassment bill focused specifically on groping in public places was introduced in the Chilean parliament last month.

Stop Street Harassment ally Blanca Caldas kindly translated the Spanish language BBC Mundo article that covered the story. Here are a few excerpts and you can also watch a short video clip about it on the BBC.

“This measure, supported by Women National Service (in Spanish SERNAM), tries to fill the legal gap that typifies such acts as petty crimes and it also seeks a cultural change that encourages women to speak up and others to help. “Abuse and groping in public spaces has a high occurrence in our country but only 17% of the women report it to the police. Young women get scared, don’t know what to do so they don’t do anything,” said Carolina Schmidt, SERNAM minister….

One of the supporters of this bill is Alejandra Sepulveda from the Independents’ Regionalist Party (PRI), who proposed that one of the main objectives be to highlight what is invisible most of the time. ‘What is relevant nowadays is that such behavior, from which 95% of women are affected especially among young women and teenagers, is no longer invisible since fines, jail sentences and a registry of such conduct,’ Sepulveda pointed out.

In countries such as Mexico and Brazil there is a separation system in the Metro, with women only wagons in rush hour. In Mexico, where street harassment is punished with a 2 to 7 year prison sentence, this measure helped in the decrease of 75% of cases in the last three years….

‘I think this would set an example if we pass this bill in which street harassment is considered a crime. It will help men and women coexist in a dignified, educated way without separation,’ declared Schmidt.

Nowadays in Chile, the fine for street harassment is between $60 to $320.”

Because a lot more discussion is necessary to refine the language of the bill, parliament representatives and government officials expect the bill won’t pass before the end of the year or early 2012.

This is the first I’d heard about the bill or efforts to curb street harassment, particularly groping, in Chile. I’m glad the government is paying attention to this crime. While doing a little bit more research, I found out that in 2007, then president of Chile Michelle Bachelet – who now heads UN Women – proposed a series of penalties for gropers on public transportation. I’m not sure if they passed, or maybe that’s what created the $60 – $320 fines.

I wonder if people will use the law, if/once it passes. Groping people on the subway in Japan is a big problem and it has the penalty of several years in jail, but few women report the groping, in part because of the long jail sentence. I like the idea of a fine, but jail time, at least one of several years, may be seen as too extreme or severe for people to actually use. So they need to find the line where the law is one that people feel comfortable and able to use but also one with a stiff enough penalty that it deters people from groping.

Thoughts?

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