Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Volumes of unwanted attention in Invercargill, New Zealand

By

Having read many of the stories in this blog it is coming back to me just how many times I was harassed while living in Invercargill, arse end of the world.

During my two years in Invercargill, I was ordered to smile on multiple occasions, once had, “SUBWAY, EAT FRESH” (?!) screamed into my ear, told I was a f**cking bitch when I didn’t respond to an obnoxious, “Hi!” (those last two were both kids under the age of 12 years, but still male). I was hassled on the street for having pink hair, or wearing unusual stockings and regularly honked at when walking home in school uniform. A bunch of obnoxious guys made clicking noises (like “giddy-up horsey” type ones at me in the supermarket (that one really pissed off my boyfriend).

I don’t remember my time in that city fondly, but not since reading this did I figure out why I had such a lasting impression of people down their as being closed minded, obnoxious and unfriendly. All your stories have made these experiences come rushing back to me. Never before or since have I experienced such a sheer volume of unwanted comments and attention as I did in that city.

– Anonymous

Location: Invercargill, NZ

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Share

“I want to add my voice to those women who have experienced street harassment”

By

I have been yelled at and honked at multiple times from men driving past in cars. I have never had a very serious or scary experience, but it happens often enough to make me really annoyed and very, very angry. What troubles me most is deciding on an appropriate way to react to this very rude and obnoxious behaviour.

There has recently been some discussion on this subject in the media in New Zealand and I want to add my voice to those women who have experienced street harassment.

– Anonymous

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Share

“No one else stepped up to the plate. I had to do something.”

By

ABC News did a very interesting experiment regarding street harassment and bystanders. They had three actors portray construction workers and had them harass an actress portraying a regular woman. Even as the men escalated, most people nearby did nothing. One woman bystander was too hesitant to confront the men, but suggested to the woman targeted to just ignore them and walk away.

But, across the time they were play-acting harassment, there were THREE good male bystanders who stepped up to the plate.

ABC News

Bystander #1 (you can see this exchange in the video clip):

“You don’t treat people that way. It’s wrong,” one man said to the construction workers.

As he stood next to our actress, he offered to apologize on behalf of our construction workers.

“Are you apologizing for men in general?” our actress asked.

“If I have to,” the man said.

Bystander #2:

“You are disrespecting this woman here. If you have a problem with her, you’re going to have a problem with me. Anyone who wants to be tough just stand up,” the man said.

“She’s flirting,” one of our actors said.

“She ain’t flirting,” the man shot back. “She’s over here and you guys are bothering her. Leave.”

When we [ABC] caught up with this man he told us, “I don’t know her. I don’t know them. I was pretty annoyed the way they were treating her. You know, three guys, a female … she’s very distressed. No one else stepped up to the plate. I had to do something.”

Bystander #3:

“Why don’t you get your lunch and take a hike” said one man.

He happened to be a construction manager who told us [ABC] that he sees a lot of what he called “shenanigans.”

“One, two, three of you picking on her?” he asked. “What are you guys doing? What is this?”

He told our construction workers that one day they might have a daughter and asked them if they would want somebody else to treat her the way they were treating our actress.

“I’m sure she has a father that wouldn’t appreciate that,” he said

“I don’t have a daughter and until then I’m going to have some fun,” one of our fake construction worker replied.

We noticed the man standing by the side of our actress, not allowing the construction workers to get any closer.

As the abuse continued from our workers, he decided the best thing to do would be to walk our actress away from the scene. When we caught up with him, he told us, “I saw one guy grabbing for her. If it went any further, I would probably have to lay him out,” he said.

At the end of the article, ABC said, “In the course of the day, many people witnessed our construction workers verbal assault on our actress. But we wondered; what would happen if our construction workers traded in their hardhats and boots for suits and ties? – Find out tonight at 9 p.m. EST”

Go ABC for addressing street harassment! I’m also interested to see what will happen when the harassers are wearing suits and ties since that ALSO happens despite the stereotype that it’s only construction workers or “blue collar” workers.

I know it can be challenging to be a bystander and the three men who “stepped up to the plate” are a great example for all of us. Here’s more info on being a good bystander as well as suggestions for what you can say or do if you’re the one being harassed.

[Update 1/15: You can watch the full episode online]

Share

Groper in a Build-A-Bear Workshop

By

Birmingham City Centre
Image from yourlocalweb.co.uk

I remember about two years ago, I was 13 and in town with a friend. We went into a Build-A-Bear Workshop so she could get a present for her friend. We were looking at the sounds you could put into your bear when a man walked past us. My friend turned to me and said, “That man just squeezed my butt.”

I couldn’t believe what i was hearing, i was so shocked. In the end we just blew it over and thought nothing of it. We then went into Adidas. We went upstairs and split up to look around for a bit. I went back down and i found her and she said it happened again!

I went back up with her because i wanted to see who this guy was. We couldn’t find him so we headed back down. As we were going down the stairs, she’s like, “that’s him.”

I looked over and he was staring at us. We headed out of the shop and i looked back and he was watching us walk away. We quickly headed into primark, to the back of the shop to lose him. We watched the door and saw him walk in. It was easy to spot him as we was wearing all black and had dark skin. He headed straight up the escalators to the next floor and it was then that i realized he must have been following us the whole day. He was carrying a SuperDrug bag. We had gone into that store after it had first happened.

We ran straight out of the shop and on the next bus home. We just took it as a joke at the time and laughed it over. She took it so well and at the time we were both shocked but neither her nor i seemed bothered.

But at the same time, i was so angry at her at the time for not saying anything to the guy, or anything at all just letting him get away with it, but now i’m angry at myself because i know i should of said something or done something, so i’m partly to blame.

This angers me a lot now because we where so young at the time and it’s just disgusting. In the past I have been a victim of disgusting comment or behaviour from both boys my age and older men, and i’m only 15! It really upsets me that this kind of behavior still happens! Why should i have to feel unsafe going out, having to watch out everywhere i go?

– Hannah

Location: Birmingham City Centre, England

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Share

Harassers don’t hibernate!

By

I love Twitter! Via @FatSocialWorker, I was directed to this gem, a winter street harassment comic strip by Meredith Gran of Octopus Pie.

She writes, “New York is a city that never shuts down, and the lechers are no exception. In my time away from the city I’d forgotten just how persistent they are, even in the coldest weather. Those brave souls.”

By Meredith Gran
Share