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Thank You – International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2021

April 21, 2021 By HKearl

Scores of groups in at least 30 countries, on six continents, joined us in raising awareness about street harassment during the 11th annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week. Thank you so much for joining us.

Here’s a list of participating groups and a photo album documenting much of what took place (you can add your own photos if you don’t see them there!)

With COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions underway in many parts of the world, most of the activism took place online, and people used a lot of creativity in sharing stories, statistics and facts about street harassment on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Groups like OCAC Guatemala, Accion Respectook, Gender Hug Azerbaijan, Hollaback! Jakarta, Historias de Acoso Callejero and Our Streets Now posted facts and informational graphics each day on their Instagram accounts.

There were zoom panels, tweet chats, Instagram Live discussions and so many posts across the platforms, many of them hosted by our main partner for the week, Safecity. Safecity also ran a “Confidence is Beautiful” campaign on social media.

L’Oreal Paris was another big partner and they released the results of their 15-country study and encouraged people to share their stories and take an active bystander campaign they run in collaboration with Hollaback! Several celebrities joined their campaign to encourage bystander action.

The Chalk Back/Catcalls of NYC was another critical partner this year and their groups did chalking in cities across the globe. Catcalls of NYC did a big chalking event and in partnership with The Real Catwalk held a story-telling, chalking, reclaim-your-power event.

Many other groups did chalking, put up stickers, posters and flyers in their community and held awareness-raising events like demonstrations and rallies.

  • There were three rallies against street harassment held in the Netherlands organized by various groups, for instance.
  • Plan Belgium held a “safety walk” in a few cities to evaluate what could be improved to make the city feel safer.
  • Plan UK and Our Streets Now collaborated to release a PSA campaign on billboards and bus stops across the UK for their “Crime not Compliment” campaign aimed at changing national laws (sign the petition).
  • In Lambeth, UK, there was a violence against women forum where street harassment was part of the discussion.

In Australia, the organization It’s Not a Compliment launched a new campaign #NoSpaceForHarassment with story-sharing, videos and social media posts. They launched the results of a new study about street harassment in Victoria at an in-person event. And they made a video with anti-harassment groups around the world: Observatorio Contra el Acoso Chile, Stop harcèlement de rue, Next Stop_mi, Fairspace, Bristol Zero Tolerance and 婦女新知基金會

This is a challenging time in the world, with COVID-19 cases continuing to surge, and with it issues like poverty, hunger and joblessness soaring. Many of us have even less time to engage in activism as we take on more care-taking duties + work (me included!). But even still, street harassment continues to be a big problem and it’s important for us to speak out when and how we can – and we appreciate everyone who took the time to join in. Your stories, your voice, your time matters. Together we are stronger.

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Filed Under: anti-street harassment week Tagged With: activism, chalking, marches

#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.”

Help fund our work in 2016, donate to our end-of-year giving campaign!

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Filed Under: 16 days Tagged With: Afghanistan, colombia, marches, Romania, south africa

Egypt: 1000s March Today, Feb 12 Protest Planned

February 6, 2013 By HKearl

Today’s Protest. Image via @Gsquare86

During the Jan. 25 protests this year in Cairo, Egypt, there were numerous instances of mob sexual violence against women (read some of their stories). Various anti-harassment groups patrolled Tahrir Square and volunteers were able to help break up most of the mobs but even still, many women required medical attention after they were safe.

Today, more than 1000 people marched in Cairo to protest the violence against women. View photos.

Anti-harassment groups are asking people worldwide to rally in front of Egyptian Embassies on Tuesday, February 12, at 6 p.m. (in whatever time zone you’re in) to protest what they see as the government’s lack of support for stopping such attacks and for perhaps hiring impoverished men to initiate attacks.

Stop Street Harassment is proud to be one of the supporting groups of this effort. If you live near an Embassy, I urge you to show your support and add your presence/voice/body to amplify these efforts.

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Filed Under: street harassment Tagged With: Cairo, Egypt, embassy, marches, protest, Tahrir

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From the Blog

  • #MeToo 2024 Study Released Today
  • Join International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2022
  • Giving Tuesday – Fund the Hotline
  • Thank You – International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2021
  • Share Your Story – Safecity and Catcalls Collaboration

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