germany Archives | Stop Street Harassment

“It happens all the time, day and night”

May 2, 2016 By Contributor

I have been sexually harassed all my life but since I moved from a small village to a city (Stuttgart, Germany), it’s been getting worse. I am the girl-next-door-looking type. I never wear anything revealing.

I can hardly think of a day when I didn’t get any comments about my hair, my eyes, my ass, or whistles from a complete stranger. Some people even try to get really close to me, touch my arm or my hair until I tell them to knock it off and walk away. It only happens when I am alone or with a girl friend. I also had a stalker once who knocked on my window and my door several times and sent me a parcel with sex gadgets.

It makes me feel vulnerable. Like they own me and that they can say whatever they want.

It happens all the time, day and night, and I don’t know how to deal with it.

– CR

Location: Stuttgart, Germany

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

Early April 2016 News Round-Up

April 2, 2016 By HKearl

Here are a few news stories on my radar recently:

Economic Times, “Widespread sexual harassment still persists in Delhi: Study“

“Sexual harassment remains a pervasive problem in Delhi despite tougher laws being enacted after the gruesome Nirbhaya rape and murder case in 2012, according to a new study that found 40 per cent of female respondents were sexually harassed in the past year.

About 40 per cent of women surveyed in Delhi said they have been sexually harassed in a public place such as a bus or park in the past year, with most of the crimes occurring in the daytime, researchers said.

Further, 33 per cent of women have stopped going out in public and 17 per cent have quit their jobs rather than face harassment in public places.

‘What this means is that women, despite Nirbhaya, are still afraid,’ said Mahesh Nalla, from the Michigan State University in US.”

Telegraph, “German rail operator launches women-only train carriages following sex attacks“

“Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn will introduce the option for women passengers on the Leipzig to Chemnitz line, positioning the carriages next to the train conductor.

‘The local proximity to the customer service representative is chosen deliberately,’ a Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn spokesman said.

The carriages are designed to make solo female travellers or women with young children feel safer on trains.

Boys up to the age of ten will also be allowed to ride in the special carriages.”

Yahoo News, “New York City proposes crackdown on taxi driver sexual harassment“

“New York City’s taxi authority plans new rules for drivers that will impose tougher penalties for sexually charged comments and contact with passengers amid growing concern about harassment.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses about 150,000 drivers of yellow cabs and other for-hire vehicles such as Uber [UBER.UL] and Lyft, wants to curb unwanted communication and touching as the number of drivers has significantly grown.

The TLC said the regulations are meant to clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment as more drivers enter the industry.

The behavior is already prohibited under a broad definition against threats, harassment or abuse, but the commission’s goal is clear up any confusion about what defines sexual harassment said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg.

The agency plans to debate the proposal at an April 21 meeting.

‘This rule amendment would provide clear definitions of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact, which would help TLC prosecution enforce its rules and protect our passengers,’ he said in a statement.”

The Hollywood Reporter, “‘Ovarian Psycos’: SXSW Review“

“For the women of the Ovarian Psycos Bicycle Brigade, riding through the streets of Los Angeles is an act of guerrilla theater, bandanas optional. Taking back the night — and, on tough and disapproving turf, the daytime streets as well — they’ve staked their place in the riot grrrl lineage and are direct descendants of the feminist and Chicano movements of the ’60s and ’70s.

A concise and intimate documentary on the collective illuminates why they find solace as well as purpose in their DIY activism. Many of these tough pedalers are self-described “at-risk adults,” still pushing against the undertow of abuse and trauma.

As a portrait of the group, Ovarian Psycos, which takes its bow in the Documentary Feature Competition at South by Southwest, is incisively personal rather than all-encompassing. It showcases compelling characters and, at its most potent, explores complex territory between mothers and daughters, tradition and independence. The film is a natural for doc platforms with a political edge.”

Odyssey, “How It Actually Feels To Be Catcalled“

“Here is a look inside the mind of someone who has been verbally harassed by strangers since the age of fourteen.”

The Ohio State University, “Why sexual harassment is worse than other types of abuse online“

“A survey of 293 women who played video games online showed that, while they didn’t like general abuse such as swearing and insults about their game-playing skills, they could dismiss these types of comments from their mind pretty easily.

But even after the game was over, women continued to think about the sexist comments, rape jokes and threats, and other sexually related comments that they received while playing with men.

‘Most women players understand trash talking and having their playing skill insulted, even if they don’t like it,’ said Jesse Fox, lead author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University.

‘But what disturbs them is being targeted simply for being a woman. They don’t easily forget those comments and continue to think about them when they’re done playing.’

And while the results suggested women didn’t think it was the responsibility of gaming companies to stop general harassment, they did seem to blame the companies for not doing more to end sexual harassment.”‘

DAWN, “‘Cycle chalao, patriarchy dubao’: Taking to Karachi streets without the company of men”

“Three girls are cycling ahead of me, one trailing with a poster that reads #GirlsOnBikes. Another has one hung on her back:

‘Hamari sarkein, hamara sheher.’

Fifteen bikers — an unusual sight of kameezes, long hair and dupattas— follow at their pace behind me. There is assurance in travelling in a pack, but our collective confidence is intentional and prepared.

Our all-women bike rally is based on a troubling reality: we are protesting street harassment against women.

Earlier this month, a girl in Lahore was hit by a car of boys while cycling to join the Critical Mass group. The girl — Aneeqa — responded with indifference to their initial attempts at harassment. But that did not deter them; they drove closer, and rammed their car into her bike. The reaction was somehow justified in their head.

Our bike-rally is an act of solidarity for Aneeqa, who, I realise, is probably cycling right now with the girls in Lahore, hardly two weeks since her bruises healed.”

Open Democracy, “Sexual harassment in Kosovo: no longer invisible“

“The oddest finding, however, is the excellent ability of male survey respondents, the main perpetrators of harassment, to identify specific acts as sexual harassment – in some instances even better than women. For example, 48.8% men think leaning on another person’s body without their permission is sexual harassment, compared to 25.1% of women. Similarly, being pressured to go out with someone is seen as an act of sexual harassment by 41.9% of men, compared to only 23% of women. My theory would be that there are some pretty enlightened men in Kosovo, and women so normalized to acts of harassment that they don’t even think of them as such. It may also mean that many men know exactly what sexual harassment is, but still harass others or simply stand by when they see it happening around them (the bystander effect applies to women as well).

This can change. This report has provided the first quantitative data on the prevalence of harassment in Kosovo, and should serve as a great resource to shut down arguments that it isn’t a widespread problem – the kind of arguments I frequently read from young men on the internet whenever the issue of sexual harassment is brought up in Kosovo.”

Vice, “In Mexico, Women Are Protesting a Wave of Brutal Murders with Performance“

“Help me, help me,” screams a stout but strong elderly woman standing on the banks of a garbage-filled canal in Chimalhuacan, Mexico. The woman is Irinea Buendía, and she is acting in a street theater performance, holding a sign with the words: “I didn’t commit suicide, you killed me.” The woman in the photo is her daughter, Marina. Buendía is surrounded by dozens of women dressed in fiery costumes. They are all screaming the names of other women who have been killed in the State of Mexico.

This canal has become the final resting place for an undetermined number of women who have been kidnapped, assassinated, mutilated, and dumped in the sewage-filled water. The group gathered here is composed of various feminist collectives which have reappropiated this harsh environment as a public theater space. Femicides have become an alarming crisis in the state, where more than 1,500 women have been murdered in the past ten years. It is believed that the victims’ gender was a primary motive in the majority of the assassinations.

All over Mexico, various womens’ groups are using creative theater to combat the scourge of gender-based violence. In Mexico City, the Hijas de Violencia (Daughters of Violence) shoot street harassers with confetti guns and sing punk anthems to denounce sexual harassment. In Puebla, a state where women have been murdered by their boyfriends and partners, the organization El Taller hosts a feminist school to help women identity violence in their personal relationships.”

Observers, “Video: Tunisian women share insults they’ve received on the street“

“Why are you so nervous? Do you have your period?” “You’re ugly, go home!” “You’re a girl, you can’t drive.” These are just a couple of examples from a video project in which filmmakers asked 60 Tunisian women to give examples of verbal sexual harassment they’ve faced on the street.

On March 20, Tunisia celebrated 60 years of independence. For the occasion, two women’s rights NGOs created this video, which they titled “60 years of independence and our bodies are still colonised.” It is full of insults, sexist comments and unwelcome propositions. Several of the women are famous in Tunisia, including journalist Lina Ben Mhenni, actress Amira Chebli, and MP Bochra Belhaj Hmida.”

The Guardian, “From Peru to Kosovo, female MPs aim to end abuse of women in politics“

“During her time as mayor of Lima, the Peruvian capital, Susana Villarán experienced brutal and harmful attacks and threats. She says they were designed to ‘diminish my image and make it clear it was not a place for a women like me to try and disrupt that male world of politics and power.’

The British MP Jess Phillips began receiving online threats when she started speaking about women’s rights after winning her parliamentary seat last year. She receives daily attacks and has seen online articles in which ‘people wished to see me raped or come home to see my sons hanging from a tree as I couldn’t possibly care about men.’

Villarán and Phillips shared their stories at the launch of a campaign by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to stop violence against women in politics.

Launched on the fringes of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York last week, the #NotTheCost campaign is seeking to raise awareness of the different methods of violence women face when seeking positions of power at local, national and international level. This can include physical, sexual, psychological, verbal and economic violence.”

Human Rights Watch, “Sudan: Silencing Women Rights Defenders“

“Sudanese security forces have used sexual violence, intimidation, and other forms of abuse to silence female human rights defenders across the country, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should investigate all alleged abuses, hold those responsible to account, and undertake legislative reforms to protect women’s rights.

The 61-page report, “‘Good Girls Don’t Protest’: Repression and Abuse of Women Human Rights Defenders, Activists, and Protesters in Sudan,” documents efforts by Sudanese authorities to silence women who are involved in protests, rights campaigns, and other public action, and who provide social services and legal aid, as well as journalists. Women engaged in these efforts are targeted with a range of abuses, from rape and rape threats, to deliberate efforts to tar their reputations. Their male counterparts may be less likely to experience some of these abuses.”

BDnews24, “Ganajagaran Mancha announces signature campaign demanding arrest of Tonu’s killers“

“The Comilla Victoria Government College student was found dead, her head smashed, near her house inside Comilla Cantonment on the night of Mar 20.

Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker announced the programme at Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Wednesday, while the killers remain at large and unidentified even nine days after the murder.

Following a Road March to Comilla on Sunday demanding justice for Tonu, the platform had also called for a one-hour strike at all educational institutions across Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The mass signature campaign aims to push the authorities to meet three other demands — implementation of an anti-sexual assault policy as per High Court orders, new law for death penalty for rapists and ensuring security of all women.”

Are you in Germany? Take a Stand in April!

March 28, 2016 By Contributor

ProChange, Germany, SSH Blog Correspondents

Wir sind wütend, weil wir nicht sicher sind auf unseren Straßen, wie es uns einschränkt, uns unserer Freiheit beraubt. Nicht erst jetzt, nachdem seit der Silvesternacht ganz Deutschland auf einmal Sexismus, Street Harassment, sexuelle Belästigung entdeckt hat. Wir sind wütend, weil sexuelle Belästigung nicht erst Silvester erfunden wurde, sondern schon immer vorhanden war. Wir sind wütend darüber, dass nicht endlich eine Auseinandersetzung mit den allgegenwärtigen Sexismen in unserer Gesellschaft stattfindet.

Stattdessen werden hegemoniale Männlichkeiten reproduziert, in denen wir entrechtet werden, indem uns der Diskurs, das Selbstbestimmungsrecht aus der Hand genommen wird. Wir werden instrumentalisiert für fremdenfeindliche, rassistische Propaganda, die Betroffene benutzt, um gegen Fremde zu hetzen. Wir wurden instrumentalisiert für das verschärfte Asylpaket II, bei dem kurzerhand der Schutz der Frauen vor Gewalt rausgeschmissen wurde, obwohl damit gegen die EU-Richtlinie 2013/33/EU des EU-Parlaments und des EU-Rates verstoßen wird. Unser Sexualstrafrecht ist nach wie vor nicht ratifiziert. Der geplante Entwurf, der jetzt endlich in Angriff genommen wurde, ist weiterhin von einem sexuellen Selbstbestimmungsrecht weit entfernt. Ein “Nein” reicht immer noch nicht als “Nein”. Der Straftatbestand der sexuellen Belästigung ist in Deutschland auch im geplanten Entwurf immer noch nicht enthalten.

Seid ihr auch wütend? Dann bringen wir die selbstverständlichen Normen ins Wanken, lassen nicht zu, dass fehlgeleitete Männlichkeitsbilder über uns bestimmen, uns kontrollieren. Die Straßen, der Park, der Bahnhof, die Bushaltestelle, der Club, die Öffentlichkeit – wir nehmen uns zurück, was uns gehört.

Wir wollen in mindestens 50 Ländern wieder die Welt dazu bringen, uns Zuzuhören und zu Handeln. Macht mit! Internationale Anti-Street Harassment Week vom 10. bis 16. April 2016!

In der Woche selber werden wir in Dortmund auch wieder unsere roten Karten gegen Sexismus an potenziell Betroffene und pinke Karten gegen Homosexuellenfeindlichkeit verteilen sowie Bierdeckel zur Sensibilisierung in Kneipen, Clubs. Die Karten werden direkt Belästigern übergeben. Die Bierdeckel sollen auf gefährliche Situationen aufmerksam machen und ermutigen einzugreifen. Wir werden mit Kreide Plätze markieren, an denen wir sexuelle Belästigung erlebt haben.

Macht mit! Bei uns (Dortmund/Ruhrgebiet) sind “Neue” herzlich willkommen. Auch in anderen Städten und Orten sind Mitstreiter_innen willkommen. Oder – selbst aktiv werden vor Ort als Organisation im Großen oder als Privatperson im Kleinen.

Schickt uns gerne Anregungen und Tipps und sehr gerne viele Fotos.

Mail: prochange@web.de

In English:

We are angry because we aren’t safe in our streets. We are angry about consequently being limited and about how our freedom is taken away. Not only now, that after New Year’s Eve the entire country – Germany – has discoverd sexism, street harrassment, sexual harassment. We are angry because all this was part of our lives already before New Year’s Eve. We are angy because no dispute regarding the omnipresent sexism in our society takes place.

Instead, male supremacy disfranchises us, takes away the basis of discourse, and, last but not least, our right of self-determination. We are being exploited for xenophobic, racist propaganda that uses affected persons to agitate against foreigners. We are being exploited for the exacerbated 2nd legislation on asylum from which the protection of women against violince was kicked, although this infringes upon the EU guideline 2013/33/EU of the EU Parliament and the EU Council. Our law against sexual offenses has not been ratified until today. The long expected draft which has finally been projected is still far away from including sexual self-determination. A “No” still does not count as a “No”. The element of sexual offense is still not being included in the German projected draft.

Are you angry, too? Then, let’s shake the system, let’s not allow to dominate erratic male stereotypes over us, to control us. The streets, the park, the train station, the bus stop, the club, all public space – let’s reconquer what’s ours.

We want to make the world listen to us and take action with us in a minimum of 50 countries. Join in to the International Anti-Street Harassment Week from April 10 to 16, 2016.

Across the week, we will distribute our red cards against sexism and pink cards against homophobia in Dortmund, Germany, as well as beer coasters in pubs and bars to sensitize people to the subject matter. The cards will be directly handed out to harassers. The coasters shall point out to dangerous situations and encourage people to take action. We will mark places where we have been sexually harassed with chalk. Details.

Join in! In Dortmund, and anywhere else, “Newbies” are always welcome. Of course, you become active yourself, no matter if in a big organisation of as a private person.

Please send us your ideas and also lots of photos!

Mail: prochange@web.de

ProChange is a group of people between 20 and 64 years of age who have been active for several years or decades now. ProChange consists of a small group of core members (pictured left) in a network of other activists. Our main focus is on street harassment, sexism and sexualized violence. We are opposed to all forms of exploitation as we believe that they are all connected.

Translated by Marlene Margolis

Mid-February 2016 News

February 15, 2016 By HKearl

Here’s a sampling of relevant stories from the past two weeks:

BBC, “Iranian youth get app to dodge morality police”

“An anonymous team of Iranian app developers have come up with a solution to help young fashion conscious Iranians avoid the country’s notorious morality police known in Persian as “Ershad” or guidance.

Ershad’s mobile checkpoints which usually consist of a van, a few bearded men and one or two women in black chadors, are deployed in towns across Iran and appear with no notice.

Ershad personnel have a very extensive list of powers ranging from issuing warnings and forcing those they accuse of violating Iran’s Islamic code of conduct, to make a written statement pledging to never do so again, to fines or even prosecuting offenders.

The new phone app which is called “Gershad” (probably meaning get around Ershad instead of facing them) however, will alert users to checkpoints and help them to avoid them by choosing a different route.

The data for the app is crowdsourced. It relies on users to point out the location of the Ershad vans on maps and when a sufficient number of users point out the same point, an alert will show up on the map for other users. When the number decreases, the alert will fade gradually from the map.

In a statement on their web page the app’s developers explain their motives in this way: “Why do we have to be humiliated for our most obvious right which is the right to wear what we want? Social media networks and websites are full of footage and photos of innocent women who have been beaten up and dragged on the ground by the Ershad patrol agents.”

“Police need to provide security for the citizens not to turn into a factor for fear. A while ago, angry with such unreasonable oppressions, we looked for a solution to find a practical way to resist the volume of injustices peacefully with low risk level, to restore part of our freedom.”

The app has rapidly become a hot topic on Iranian social media, with users generally welcoming it as an innovative way to avoid a potentially unpleasant encounter with the guardians of national virtue.”

BuzzFeed News, “Teen Turns Himself In After On-Air Sexual Assault Of Belgian TV Reporter”

“A 17-year-old man has turned himself in to police in Cologne, Germany, after a Belgian journalist covering a city carnival was sexually assaulted during a live television report.

Esmeralda Labye, a reporter for Belgium’s RTBF, had her breast grabbed and neck kissed while reporting from Cologne’s Carnival celebrations.

In a statement released Friday by Cologne police, authorities said the teen, who was accompanied by his mother, told officers he appeared in the images taken of the incident.

Police said the teen denied having approached the journalist with “sexually motivated intentions.”

It is unclear if he has been charged in the incident. Police said the investigation is still ongoing.

According to the BBC, there were 22 incidents of sexual assault on the first night of Carnival.”

Women’s Refugee Commission, “No Safety for Refugee Women on the European Route”

“There is virtually no consideration of gender-based violence along the route to ensure safe environments, identify survivors and ensure that services are provided to them…

There is an urgent need for the Serbian and Slovenian governments, in collaboration and coordination with other countries, the European Union (EU) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), to take control of a hastily developed and chaotic humanitarian response and put in place the policies, programs, services and personnel that will protect women and girls from a myriad of risks from the moment they arrive and through the journey to a safe resettlement.”

News, “Woman uses The Force to repel attacker in absurd Finnish anti-rape video”

“Police in Finland have been panned over an absurd anti-rape video which appears to show a woman using ‘The Force’ to repel a would-be attacker….

Some questioned whether the video was a joke or a Saturday Night Live sketch, while others pointed out the obvious Star Wars references.

Many were simply angry. ‘It’s not even funny anymore, but really, really pathetic that it’s come to this,’ wrote Jaana Tuukkanen.”

Independent, “German residents left outraged after mayor says young girls ‘provoke’ sexual harassment”

“Residents of a small German town have been left outraged after its mayor suggested young girls “provoke” sexual harassment.

Jens Müller, Mayor of Bad Schlema, Saxony, made the comments at a council meeting last week, after a grandfather raised concerns young girls were being subject to harassment as they walked home from school, German newspaper FreiePresse reports….

The man, who has not been identified, claimed his granddaughter, who he said was under 10 years old, had been a victim of such behaviour.

In response to the comments Mr Müller said: “That’s easy, just don’t provoke them and don’t walk in these areas.”

“It’s technically not necessary for the girls to walk there,” he added. “There are alternative routes for going to school.”

The comments sparked outrage among residents who accused the mayor of focusing on the victims rather than the perpetrators.”

The Establishment, “Nobody Catcalls the Woman in the Wheelchair”

“Why is my experience so invisible to the feminist community?

When I retreated to online feminist spaces—supposedly safe spaces—looking for community, what I found was endless discussions of the ubiquity of street harassment. Here was a universal consequence of sexism, misogyny, and rape culture. Here was something all women could understand and rally against. Here was our uniting experience.

I found feminism and I thought, Maybe I don’t count here either.

I don’t expect every conversation of street harassment to come with a disclaimer, and I certainly don’t expect to see myself reflected in every essay or article or tweet on the subject. But this admittedly useful assumption that “Women Experience Sexualized Street Harassment” is necessarily exclusionary. That’s not the intent, but as feminists ought to know, intent doesn’t erase harm.”

Broadly, “Big Tits for 600: The Ugly, Sexist Aftermath of Appearing on ‘Jeopardy!‘”

“After my appearance on the theoretically wholesome game show went viral, I received countless lewd and harassing Internet comments. Sadly, my experience is not unique….

when I joined an online group for fellow Jeopardy! alumnae, I discovered that, with the exception of the Turd Ferguson viral thing, my experience had not been all that unique: I began to notice that other women had experienced the same bombardment, and some of them had felt the same crimson-faced confusion about how to react….

Other women—like Amanda Hess, Anita Sarkeesian, and Congresswoman Katherine Clark—have spoken out about the ways women can be the subjects of disproportionate and gendered harassment online. None of the women I spoke to, myself included, had expected their spot in a family-friendly, early-evening trivia show to earn them a toxic mixture of sexualized opprobrium.

And yet, as I set out to better understand my own experience, and those of other women who had sought out America’s most famous trivia gauntlet, I was heartened by the one thing I did not find: regret. Not one of the women I spoke with regretted their decision to appear on Jeopardy!, fulfilling childhood dreams in some cases, paying off student debt in others. Despite the chagrin-inducing—and sometimes downright unsettling—responses we received, each of us had reveled in the change to engage in intellectual competition, to shake Alex Trebek’s hand, and, in my case, to strike a blow for doofuses everywhere.

“Those men don’t own me. I own me and determine how I behave and how I present myself,” said Tiombi Prince. “I refuse to have my accomplishments diminished.”

Oxygen, “Oxygen52: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh Uses Public Art To Fight Street Harassment”

“Her newest portrait series, Women Are Not Seeking Your Validation, is currently on display at the Corridor gallery in Brooklyn. Just as with Stop Telling Women to Smile, it was important for Fazlalizadeh to share the faces as well as the voices of women by incorporating their words into each portrait. Though some text speaks to the viewer and some to the individual woman’s experience and who she is as a person, every piece is an effort to address how women are perceived in public privates spaces – art galleries, school settings, work environments. It’s about reclaiming spaces and raising the voices of women, one portrait at a time.”

Jakarta Post, “Greater Jakarta: Go-Jek driver sacked for sexual harassment“:

“A male motorcycle taxi driver working for smartphone application Go-Jek has been fired for alleged sexual harassment against a young female passenger. The passenger’s sibling posted message about the incident on social media. The now-viral post was initially shared via social media platform Path but has now been shared through other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. According to the post, the Go-Jek driver, Irwan, picked up the 17-year-old victim at her school. During the ride to the young girl’s home, Irwan told the victim stories of his sex life, causing the latter to be uncomfortable. The young girl reportedly ignored Irwan.

However, upon arriving at the specified destination, Irwan took the victim’s hand and hugged her. When the victim refused his advances, Irwan sexually harassed her.

The post also included text messages Irwan had sent to the victim after the incident. Irwan told the victim not to “misunderstand” and said that she still needed “much learning”. PT Go-Jek Indonesia public relations manager Rindu Ragilia said in an official statement that Go-Jek had cut partnership with Irwan, who has confessed to sexually harassing the victim.”

Slate, “Is Catcalling Ever Ok?”

“Through pop culture depictions and beauty norms, women are socialized to believe that one of their greatest contributions to society is sexual desirability, and that when their youthful beauty fades or never materializes at all, they’re worthless, or at least worth less. Women of any age deserve to feel beautiful, desirable, and of great import to the world. Whether she enjoys catcalls or not, she shouldn’t have to use them to measure her value.”

Germany: In Cologne, Women’s Bodies Should Not Be Used to Promote Racism

January 12, 2016 By Correspondent

Editor’s Note: Our new Blog Correspondents ProChange in Germany wrote a piece for both Ms. Magazine’s blog and SSH… so this is cross-posted from Ms, with permission.

Following planned attacks on women on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, more than 500 reports have been made, 40 percent involving sexual assault. In other German cities such as Hamburg, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, similar cases were also filed.

In Cologne, the police have arrested 21 suspects so far, most of whom have been identified as men from northern African or Arab regions.

Shockingly, in the beginning, there seemed to be no public outcry over the attacks. It was only on January 2, after the local media started covering the incidents and quoted eyewitnesses stating that the perpetrators looked northern Africa or Arab, that suddenly there was outrage.

But instead of turning the incident into an opportunity to stand up for women’s right to be safe in public spaces, many who are against the influx of refugees used the assaults to spread racist hate speech targeting asylum seekers, migrants and foreigners.

While there may have been asylum seekers among the perpetrators, as the newspaper die Welt reported, this racist response is unacceptable. The rhetoric is unjust to both the persons affected and to the many asylum seekers coming to Germany searching for a better life.

Certainly the perpetrators should be punished, no matter where they are from. The German state must use the rule of law to send a strong message that violence against women will not be tolerated. But it is disturbing to see that the body of the “German woman” is being used to promote racist hate speech, and it’s something that has been prevalent throughout the German debate on refugees.

For example, the philology association from Saxony achieved questionable fame for warning young girls against sexual adventures with Muslim men. Under the guise of protecting the young girls, racist stereotypes were promoted and combined with sexist ideas. While Muslim men were portrayed as a potential danger, young girls’ abilities to decide their own sexuality were denied.

The wildest stories have circulated on social media. For instance, it was claimed that refugees were urinating on vegetables in supermarkets, and stealing goods worth several thousand Euros without punishment. When investigated, it turned out that those wild stories were lies.

You might assume from scrolling through Facebook that crime has increased with the influx of refugees. But the image of the “criminal refugee” is not backed by crime statistics. In fact, refugees commit crimes at the same rate as the native German population, and the number of sex crimes committed by refugees is actually below 1 percent.

Right-wing political parties, such as the AfD (Alternative for Germany), warn against refugees as potential rapists of German women. Politician Björn Höecke, for instance, spoke about the special risk for blonde (!) German women.

It seems like the right-wing movements have finally discovered an interest in women’s rights. But while the potential rape of “our women” has stirred up hate for the “uncivilized other,” the fact that sexual violence is already prevalent within German society, or that it can affect non-German women as well, seems not to be of interest to them.

In addition to racist backlash, there has also been a great deal of victim-blaming in the wake of these attacks. This was blatantly clear in the recommendation made by Cologne’s mayor, Henriette Reker, during a press conference following the New Year’s Eve attacks where she spoke about preventive measures for the upcoming carnival celebrations. When asked how women could protect themselves, she answered that it is always possible to maintain a certain distance of more than an arm length from men. Women turned to social media to mock her advice, using the hashtag #einearmlaenge (one arm length). She has since apologized, but the damage has already been done.

Following the attacks, this should be—and still can be—an opportunity to name street harassment and other forms of sexual violence as everyday sexism. It is also the right time to call for a revision of the German penal code to better address these types of offenses.

Every woman should have the right to safely be in public spaces, among men of all races, and in as close proximity as a crowded place dictates. The priority should be to ensure that that is the reality, not to punish the refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are just as likely to be peaceful, law-abiding residents of Germany as those who are native-born, nor should it be the time to engage in needless victim-blaming.