colombia Archives | Stop Street Harassment

City in Colombia Bans Street Harassment, Survey in Nepal & More

December 2, 2016 By HKearl

Here are four notable news stories from the past day:

DECREE:

In Timbío, Colombia, a non-binding decree was made on November 25, 2016, to ban public-sector workers and contractors from making “lewd, coarse catcalling that offends ladies.” Those in violation will face verbal reprimand, sensitivity training, or counseling.

Along with the decree was the launch of a city-wide campaign against street harassment, including ads at harassment hotspots, like public transit and stadiums.

The decree is supported by la Casa de Mujer, a local women’s organization.

Learn more here.

SURVEY:

More than 1000 people took the #IWalkFreely survey in Nepal and 98 percent of all women said they had been harassed. Besides the streets, 71 percent of respondents also reported harassment in public transportation, 63 percent said they were subjected to physical harassment of some form, and 20 percent reported sexual harassment. Nearly half the participants who said they had faced harassment were between 20-29 years old, and 41 percent were between 13 and 19.

DOCUMENTING:

Here are two efforts to show what street harassment is like globally.

Via BBC News:

“As part of the BBC’s 100 Women season we would like you to join in and help us build up a picture of street harassment around the world.

We would like you or any of your female friends or family who experience harassment between Friday 2 December and Sunday 4 December to share your story with us.

We only need a brief description of the incident and the city where it happened. Tweet it using the hashtag #mappingharassment or if you prefer, email bbc100.women@bbc.co.uk

Do not put yourself at risk or try to take any pictures of the incident. Also do not give us further elements that could lead to your full identification, like your name, or address. Only post a brief description, the city and the hashtag.”

Via Vice News:

“As a woman walking around the city alone at night, there’s not much you can do if some creep decides to follow you around and harass you. But many women try to find a way to deal with feeling unsafe – to project an aura that will stop the harassment from happening. A brisk and confident step, eyes on the pavement and a hand in the pocket of your coat, clutching your phone.

To see how women from different countries in Europe deal with street harassment, VICE offices across the continent asked women from 13 cities if and where they feel unsafe alone at night, and how they deal with that feeling.” Read more.

#NoEsMiCultura: Latin America join forces to launch the first continental campaign against Street harassment

April 22, 2016 By HKearl

The following was provided by OCAC Chile.

En el marco de la Semana Internacional Contra el Acoso Callejero, Latinoamérica se une por primera vez para lanzar una campaña de alcance regional contra el acoso sexual en espacios públicos. La campaña #NoEsMiCultura es organizada por la red de Observatorios Contra el Acoso Callejero (OCAC) de Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua y Uruguay. Su objetivo es concientizar y visibilizar el acoso callejero como un problema que se sufre en todo el continente.

Durante la Semana Internacional Contra el Acoso Callejero, las sedes de OCAC Latinoamérica realizarán actividades para educar, sensibilizar y erradicar la idea que el acoso sexual en espacios públicos es parte de un folclore y típico de los países. La idea es transmitir que, más bien, es un problema transversal. Esta premisa se difunde en un video y en contenido en las redes sociales de la red de Observatorios.

“Queremos que en cada país se deje de justificar el acoso callejero como parte de la cultura local, queremos que se sepa que el acoso sexual callejero es un problema global y que nos afecta como región. Sabemos que nuestras voces unidas tienen más fuerza, por eso trabajamos articuladas para aprender unas de las experiencas de las otras. Hacemos entre los OCAC y también buscamos hacer redes con otras ONGs a nivel internacional”, señaló Alice Junqueira, Directora de Articulación Internacional de OCAC Chile.

Además de esta primera acción conjunta, en los últimos meses, cada Observatorio ha realizado acciones a nivel local. Junqueira destaca el proyecto de Ley contra el acoso callejero aprobado por la cámara de diputados en Chile, la campaña entre Action Aid y OCAC Nicaragua, la caja de herramientas que prepara OCAC Colombia, los talleres municipales de OCAC Uruguay, la articulación por una ley contra el acoso callejero de OCAC Costa Rica y los videos de sensibilización de OCAC Bolivia y OCAC Guatemala.

In English

In the context of the International Anti-Harassment Week, Latin America joined forced to launch the first regional campaign against sexual harassment in public places. #NoEsMiCultura [#NotMyCulture] is a campaign organized by the Observatories Against Street Harassment (OCAC, in Spanish) of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Uruguay. Its aim is to raise awareness and make street harassment visible as a problem in the whole continent.

During the International Anti-Harassment Week, the six OCAC branches developed activities to educate, create awareness and eradicate the idea of sexual harassment in public places as part of folklore or as a typical expression of each country. The idea is to communicate that street harassment is a transversal problem.

“We want each country to stop justifying street harassment as part of their local culture. We want the people to know that street harassment is a global problem that affect us as a region. We know that our voices together are stronger, so we work organized to learn from each other’s experiences. We do that as OCAC Latin America and with other NGOs all around the world.” said Alice Junqueira, International Coordinator from OCAC Chile.

Additionally to this first joint action, in the last months, each Observatory has done initiatives in a local level. Junqueira highlights the bill “Respeto Callejero” [Street Respect] against street harassment in Chile, the local campaign between Action Aid and OCAC Nicaragua, the tool box that OCAC Colombia is preparing, the municipal workshops held by OCAC Uruguay, OCAC Costa Rica’s activism for a bill against street harassment in the country, and the videos to raise awareness by OCAC Bolivia and OCAC Guatemala.

“You girl, wanna play?”

April 2, 2016 By Contributor

At the age of 12 (I’m now 14), I was walking down the street wearing a short dress, and a grown old man came to me, and he told me: “You girl, wanna play?”

And I just stared to run and run. I came home, but I didn’t said anything because I didn’t think it was bad enough.

I think that we need a radical change. Places can be safer for women if we’re informed about these sexism and feminism stuff. And I will start to speak out, because this is a big problem.

– Jessica Atencia

Location: Colombia

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

“If I didn’t like it I should wear a cape”

February 20, 2016 By Contributor

I was walking my dog, and a man was staring at me like he hadn’t seen a woman before. He said some things harassing me and frankly I’m fed up with the behavior of men in my city.

When I confronted that man, he said that if I didn’t like it I should wear a cape and he kept yelling things and laughing at me.

– LO

Location: Pasto/Nariño/Colombia

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.

#16Days of Activism: Marching (Day 7)

December 1, 2015 By HKearl

Nov. 25 – Dec. 10 are the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. To commemorate the week, we are featuring 1 activism idea per day. This information is excerpted from my new book Stop Global Street Harassment: Growing Activism Around the World (Praeger 2015).

Since the mid-1970s, Take Back the Night and Reclaim the Night marches have occurred annually in many cities worldwide to challenge rape. Starting in 2011, SlutWalk marches spread globally, too, with participants criticizing rape culture and victim blaming. In recent years, there have also been marches in countries like Afghanistan, Colombia, Nepal, Romania, South Africa, and the United States.

*Afghanistan. Image via Gender Across Borders*

On a hot day in 2011, 50 women and men carrying banners and signs with messages like, “We will not tolerate harassment,” “Islam forbids men from insulting women,” and “I have the right to walk freely in my city” marched together from Kabul University to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. Organized by Young Women for Change, marchers handed out fliers to raise awareness about the problem of street harassment in their country. Most of the people they passed on the street stood shocked, staring, since openly supporting women’s rights can be dangerous. Despite the presence of a police escort, some men heckled the marchers and called them names. But others were supportive and took fliers or joined the march. Organizer Noorjahan Akbar, then a 20-year-old college student, told me in an interview at the time: “It was so thrilling to see that none of us are alone in this fight and we are willing to stand up for each other.”

In 2012, between 3,000 and 5,000 women and men joined together to march through Johannesburg, South Africa, outraged by the sexual assault of two women wearing short skirts at a taxi rank and by the daily street harassment most women face. They carried signs with messages like “I will wear my mini-skirt anywhere!” and “Humiliating women is a sin before God.” Lulu Xingwana, the minister of women and children and people with disabilities marched too, and told the local news station: “Through this march, we are reclaiming our streets from those who abuse and terrorize women and children.” She also warned she would close down taxi ranks if harassment and assault against women continued there.

In Bogota, Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero Colombia held a march against street harassment in the center of the city in 2014. More than 100 people participated, carrying signs with messages like “Nuestros Cuerpos No Hacen Parte Del Espacio Publico!” (Our bodies are not public space!). The group joined forces with a female percussion group called La tremendarevoltosabatucadafeminista and a performance group called Tulpadanza, which both brought extra energy to the march.

Also in 2014, with the help of volunteers from the feminist organization Filia, Simona-Maria Chirciu organized a 100-person march through Bucharest, Romania. Women and men of all ages held signs that read, “Harassment is violence,” “We don’t need your validation,” and “It is NEVER ok to harass people! So stop doing it.” Numerous women’s rights groups participated. Chirciu wrote for the SSH blog: “People on the streets interacted with us, greeted us, and asked questions about our march: ‘Hey, do you think a march will solve the problem? Boys need to be educated or legally punished for doing this.’ Yes! Maybe a march doesn’t solve the street harassment issue, but it can raise awareness and is empowering for the march participants.”

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