Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Be a Hero and Stop Harassment!”

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Breakthrough is a Delhi, India-based amazing, award-winning “global human rights organization that uses the power of media, pop culture, and community mobilization to inspire people to take bold action for dignity, equality, and justice.”

I first learned about them because of their innovative bystander campaign around domestic violence called “Bell Bajao” or “Ring the Bell.” It encourages people to ring a neighbor’s doorbell if they hear domestic violence occurring because that can interrupt the situation, and then to call the police if it continues.

I connected with a few staff at Breakthrough a few months ago (including Veronica Weis, the author of yesterday’s blog post about street harassment in Delhi, India) and invited them to participate in International Anti-Street Harassment Week. I was thrilled when they accepted the invitation and created this amazing bystander poster campaign for street harassment. Please the posters share widely!

 

 

They also created two comics about bystander interventions.

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“Kick them straight in the balls”

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This is part of the advice that Shiraz Singh (the woman on the right) gives her daughter when faced with aggressive street harassers.

Watch as women like Singh in Delhi, India, one of the least safe cities for women in the world, explain how they defend themselves against street harassers in a New York Times video (there is an accompanying article, too).

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80 percent of women in Mumbai experience street harassment

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We The People Foundation interviewed 1,000 women in Mumbai, India, about their experiences with street harassment. Eighty percent had experienced some form of street harassment on a regular basis. Mumbai is supposed to be one of the safer cities for women in India and perhaps that’s why the statistic was “only” 80 percent, while in Delhi, over 90 percent of women feel unsafe leaving home alone.

The majority of the harassment takes place on crowded trains and railway platforms, and 60 percent had faced harassment while commuting by train and 40 percent while commuting by another public transportation system, like a bus or taxi.

Via Daily News & Analysis:

“The statistics are worrying especially as women do not take concrete steps to stem the menace,” said Jason Temasfieldt, founder-member of the organisation, which addresses the issue of women’s safety in public places in Mumbai.

Only one out of 10 women lodges a police complaint, and not more than two confront the perpetrator or attempt to stop him.

“Only two out of every 10 women glare angrily at the offender. The rest just ignore him or worse, feel embarrassed or ashamed of themselves,” said Sacha Lobo, a college students who joined the organisation after being interviewed during the survey.

Another worrying finding was that most women do not consider catcalls or lewd comments as sexual harassment, but an “unfortunate drawback” of being a woman.

“Any unwanted physical or verbal action by a man is nothing but harassment. And it is high time both men and women did their bit to stop this menace,” said Temasfieldt.

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Man convicted after harassing under-cover female officers

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A not-so brilliant street harasser who solicited two under cover policewomen during an anti-street harassment sting in New Delhi, India, has been convicted of “outraging the modesty of women,” and may face up to a year in jail, plus a fine. I’m not a fan of the description of the crime (women are not modesty but we do deserve respect, men do, too), but the outcome is refreshing.

Via MSN India:

“Metropolitan Magistrate Shunali Gupta convicted Haryana resident Vinod under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for outraging the modesty of women, saying, ‘From the evidence led, prosecution has been able to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.’ The court, which convicted Vinod, is yet to pronounce its sentence, which may be up to one year in jail besides the fine.

The eve-teasing incident dates back to September 23, 2005, when Vinod approached the two women head constables, waiting at a bus stand in Mangolpuri police station area. Vinod stopped his scooter near the bus stand and began uttering indecent and obscene words and making vulgar gestures.

“Aaj mausam bada suhana hai, tumme se kaun chal sakti hai, usko main paise de kar khush kar dunga, mere pas jagah bhi hai (Its a nice weather today, who among you can join me for a accompany? I will satisfy you with money. I also have a proper space for the purpose),” Vinod remarked when some cops waiting in plain clothes swooped upon him and arrested him.”

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Making the streets of Sri Lanka safer

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There’s a new group in Colombo, Sri Lanka, speaking out against street harassment/sexual harassment in public places. Their group is Join the Fight Against Harassers. Via their Facebook page:

“More than 95% of women find it unsafe to travel alone in public spaces in Colombo. Every woman has faced some form of public harassment in the form of leering, stalking and catcalling, sometimes even leading up to physical harassment.

Public spaces are for every citizen to use without any hindrance or threat of sexual harassment. This campaign aims to make the streets of Sri Lanka safer for all its citizens, to create awareness on the measures that can be taken to protect ourselves from harassment and to empower people to stand up against sexual harassment in public spaces. Most importantly, to change the attitude that it is a menace that simply cannot be stopped.

This page will update you on how and what you can do to clean up the streets of Colombo. Join us now in the fight against harassment.

This campaign is run by Reach Out and Beyond Borders.”

I’m excited by all the international groups speaking out right now! From Lebanon and Egypt to South Africa and India, to the UK and Chile, and of course all of the Hollaback sites, global efforts are going to make a difference!

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