Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Participate in “Got Stared At”

By

Myth: Street harassment happens because of how we dress.

Truth: No it doesn’t. Street harassment happens to people wearing school uniforms, business suits, workout clothes, hijabs, winter coats, rain coats, saris, summer dresses, and jeans. Street harassment is about power and abuse of power, inconsiderateness, the performance of unhealthy definitions of masculinity, sexism, and sometimes it’s also about homophobia, transphobia, racism, classism, ablism and more.

Action: To help combat the myth that street harassment happens because of how we dress, the amazing activist group Must Bol, based in Delhi, India,  launched a website called “Got Stared At” for International Anti-Street Harassment Week.

They’re inviting people ANYWHERE who’ve been harassed in public to submit a photo of the clothing they were wearing when it happened. You can include a story about what happened or just send the photo.

So….what were you wearing when you got stared at or street harassed?

Share

Snapshot of Street Harassment Stories, News, & Tweets: December 4, 2011

By

Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past week.

** Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter from Stop Street Harassment ***

Street Harassment Stories:

Share your story! You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

HarassMap Egypt

Resist Harassment Lebanon

Many of the Hollaback sites

In the News, on the Blogs:

* Human Rights First, “Why Egyptian Women are Mad and Marching“

* Gender Across Borders, “Piropos & the Panamanian Police: Street Harassment in the Spanish-Speaking World“

* Trust.org, “The Word on Women – Afghanistan’s Young Women – Interview with Anita Haidary“

* Lankasri News, “70% sexual harassment in public transport“

* Feminaust, “Review: Cairo 678“

* The Pixel Project, “16 Memorable Ways of Dealing With Street Harassment“

* Resisting the Milieu, “Be a Real Man: Pledge to Confront and Shame Street Harassers“

* Nothing but a Human, “Fanon, Alienation and Sexual Harassment“

* NBC News, “Using social media tools to battle sexual harassment in Egypt“

* Planet Powai, “Street play on Eve-teasing, police campaign“

* Daily Mirror, “Sexual harassment in public transport“

* Temporinteraktif, “Harassment on Transjakarta Bus Increases“

* Red Light Politics, “Anti street harassment campaigns“

* GOOD, “iHollaback Is the New Rape Whistle: Shaming Street Harassers with Cellphone Pics“

Announcements:

New:

* Through December 9th, two trucks will roam the streets of Lebanon, playing a message about sexual harassment, “Catcalls are not acceptable words to say,” and “The word is sexual harassment, fight back.”

* Read the “Men who say no to street harassment” blog post, part of Must Bol’s 16 Days blogathon.

* A high school class in NYC created a PSA about street harassment: “You’re NOT alone – street harassment”

* Noorjahan Akbar, co-founder of Young Women for Change, talks about their anti-street harassment efforts in Afghanistan

Reminders:

* Young Women for Change (Afghanistan) launched Poster in the City. All Afghan artists are encouraged to submit their art work that focuses on women’s rights, gender equality, and the elimination of violence against women. It can be in any form such as drawing, water painting, black and white charcoal drawing- or digital pictures. Full details available online.

* In India, Must Bol is running a Men Say No Blogathon for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

* Hollaback West Yorkshire (UK) is undertaking the first ever survey of street harassment in West Yorkshire. If you live in the area, take it by Dec. 10.

* During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, Stop Street Harassment is featuring 16 names women do NOT want to be called by strangers on the streets. Ending the social acceptability of men calling women these names takes us one step closer to creating a culture where gender violence doesn’t happen.

* You can purchase the Stop Street Harassment book for 50% off right now!

10 Tweets from the Week:

1. kossoycj Why are you telling me that I look like your ex girlfriend and following me? I don’t know you #streetharassment

2. DiinaSalama Angered and outraged by the harassment stories told. Suffering in silence became so normal that we don’t take it seriously. #EndSH

3. SpookSquad So sick to death of rude, stalk-y, predatory behavior from guys. You were just pointless. Both of you can go F yourselves. #StreetHarassment

4. michelehumes So tired of street harassment. Started “holla-ing back” 3 years ago. At best, it does nothing. Last night it put me in danger.

5. HollaBackBmore Tired of being seen as a “thing.” When #streetharassment happens, check in w/ yr friend, empower them, not the harasser!…

6. nmoawad Hilarious, check it out. Women turn into street harassers to combat sexual harassment youtube.com/watch?v=sB-Rr8… #endSH

7. RoqayaA Ladies check out YWCA Safety Siren app. For social, health, and most importantly safety tips and a panic siren. #EndSH #harassment

8. pakinamamer Half of my life I’ve walked like a soldier or dressed conservatively enough to avoid sexual harassment on the street. But one gets tired.

9. MeganFinnegan Creepiest street catcall ever, me w/ scarf over my rain-soaked head, no umbrella: “I like the way you cover your head, sweetheart.” Really?!

10. MustBol When did you realize that street harassment exists ?

Share