savannah Archives | Stop Street Harassment

Stories:

On HollaBack Toronto, a contributor tells about being followed and accosted several times by a naked man at a nude and clothed beach.
Holla Back DC! has several new contributor posts this week, including two by a young woman who was the target of two bad instances of street harassment within a few days’ time: a naked masturbator and a crotch groper. She called 911 in both instances.

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem!

In the News:

A taxi driver in Malaysia sexually assaulted a female passenger.
The Telegraph in Calcutta, India, discusses street harassment and what women can do to combat it.
In Atlanta, GA, a man shot two women in the street after they ignored his advances. The women are in stable condition at the hospital.
In Savannah, GA, three men sexually assaulted a woman who was walking home; someone driving by intervened and the men ran away.

Upcoming Events:

June 8 (7-9 p.m.): New Yorkers for Safe Transit are holding a community forum about the rampancy of gender-based violence in the New York City public transit system. “Taking Back Public Transit: Confronting Violence on Board” will be held at Brecht Forum, 451 West St. (btwn. Bank & Bethune), New York.
June 18 (7:30 p.m): Holla Back DC! is hosting a dinner for WIN’s 20th Annual Women Opening Doors for Women Event. The goal of the dinner is to network, create an open dialogue on how to address harassers, and brainstorm policy changes to develop safe public spaces. The event takes place after the evening’s reception (5:30 p.m.) and keynote speaker (6 p.m.) at the AFL-CIO. Tickets for the night start at $40.
June 27 (2-4 p.m.): Girls and women ages 12-25 are invited to share their stories about sexual harassment on the Chicago buses and subways with the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team. Berger Park Cultural Center, 6205 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL.

Street Harassment Resource of the Week:

Brian Martin’s article “Men: Help stop public harassment“

Sunday night a woman was approached by three men while she was walking alone in the Savannah-Chatham (GA) metro area. They tried to talk to her and she ignored them (as most women do when they experience street harassment from unknown men, especially when they’re alone at night). Then two of the men pushed her to the ground while the third sexually assaulted her.

A wonderful bystander was driving by and yelled at the men, who then ran away. The driver helped the woman get home and she filed a police report. The police are currently investigating the incident.

Via Savannah’s local NBC station: “Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to contact Detectives at 912-651-6742 or Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) and in the body type ‘CStop2020’ plus the tip. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash award.”

Safety is always a concern during street harassment incidents and one never knows when a harasser might escalate his actions into assault. The safest (but not necessarily the most empowering) course of action usually is to ignore a harasser, which she did and they still assaulted her. Men who harass and assault women must change their behavior! All women should have the right to be out in public – regardless of whether or not they are alone or if it’s dark out – and be safe.

Street Harassment Round Up – May 31

Bystander Intervention in Savannah Sexual Assault