Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Street harassers in Saudi Arabia will be fined, publicly defamed

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Image from The Saudi Gazette

“Men who harass women in public will be fined and publicly defamed under a new law being drafted by the Shoura Council. The action is due to huge public demand to end the phenomenon that humiliates women and even leads to traffic jams. Shoura Council member Zain Al-Abideen Bin Barri urged ‘the council to follow the suit of countries like Kuwait and the UAE where similar laws have successfully deterred the unwelcome advances,’ Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported. ‘Besides penalties, we’re going to consider imposing fines. The penalty of public defamation will deter public harassers,’ he said.

“The nuisance is widespread throughout the Kingdom particularly in blackspots such as Al-Elaya Street in Riyadh and Al-Tahliya Street in Jeddah. Many businesses are now losing customers who avoid malls out of fear of harassment.”  ~ From the The Saudi Gazette

You mean there is still street harassment in Saudi Arabia, a country where legal restrictions keep women from being in public freely and dictate that they be veiled when they are in public?

I’m shocked.

Nope, I’m not.

Street harassment is a global problem and as long as women are viewed and treated as second-class citizens and are “othered” from men, street harassment will persist.

I’m interested to see if this law will be enforced and if it will be effective. I didn’t know about the Kuwait and UAE laws, so if those laws truly have been successful at deterring harassment, maybe a law in Saudi Arabia will to.

Regardless of its effectiveness, I’m glad to see an article and a proposed law that place the blame on men (although honestly, there are already so many restrictions on women’s access to public places there, what more can they do to women?). For example, in the past I’ve blogged about clerics who wanted women to wear veils with only one eye showing to reduce harassment because two eyes were too “seductive,” and I’ve blogged about men who justify the law against women drivers by saying if they drove, it would lead to an increase in harassment. At least this article and law place the blame and the attention on the men who harass. That’s some progress.

[Thanks for the news tip, P.J. Aroon, copy chief at Foreign Policy Magazine]

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6 ideas for your holiday shopping

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Included among the fun gifts you’re giving this holiday season, consider gifts that can help create safer public places.

From anti-street harassment gifts to donations to anti-harassment organizations in honor of a loved one there are plenty of ideas to go around.

Gifts:

1 – Prints and postcards:

* Street Harassment is a Crime poster from Girls for Gender Equity ($2)

* Men Can Stop Rape’s Bystander Campaign posters ($9 per poster)

* Street harassment comic by Barry Deutsch (ranging in price from $2 – $22)

2 – Films:

* Hey…Shorty! by Girls for Gender Equity ($15)

* Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Ryhmes, by Bryon Hurt ($150 – only the educational version is available)

* The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood ($15)

* War Zone, by Maggie Hadleight-West (depending on the version and length, $25 – $200)

3 – Music (MP3 Downloads):

* “Stop Looking at My Moms,” by the Astronomical Kid ($.99)

* “The Story,” by Ani DiFranco ($.99)

* “U.N.I.T.Y.,” by Queen Latifah ($.99)

4 – Books:

* Hey, Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets, by Joanne Smith, Meghan Huppuch, Mandy Van Deven ($10)

* Why Loiter? Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets by Shilpa Phadke & Sameera Khan & Shilpa Ranade ($6)

* Back Off: How to Confront and Stop Sexual Harassment and Harassers, by Martha Langelan ($0.01 – $24)

* Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe and Welcoming for Women, by me ($22 – $44)

* Passing By: Gender and Public Harassment, by Carol Brooks Gardner ($0.01 – $27)

* License to Harass: Law, Hierarchy, and Offensive Public Speech, by Laura Beth Nielsen ($14 – $30)

* The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood, edited by James Houghton, Larry Bean, and Tom Matlack ($15)

* The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help, by Jackson Katz ($6 – $13)

* Men and Feminism, by Shira Tarrant ($6 – $10)

* Unexpected Allies: Men Who Stop Rape, by Todd Denny ($11 – 17)

5 – Stop Street Harassment Merchandise:

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Mug
Small Stickers
Magnet
Mousepad
Tote Bag
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Large Stickers
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6 – Donations:

Consider making a donation in the name of a loved one or a friend. Here are 15 of my favorite anti-violence, anti-street harassment organizations.

A Long Walk Home – A Chicago-based nonprofit, A Long Walk Home uses art therapy and the visual and performing arts to end violence against girls and women.

Defend Yourself – Support the work of a Washington, DC organization that holds community workshops and classes that teach skills to stop harassment, abuse and assault. They particularly focus on girls, women, and LGBQT folks.

GEMS – Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.

Girls for Gender Equity – Support a NYC organization that empowers teenage girls and has tackled street harassment through surveys, documentaries, conferences, and books

Helping Our Teen Girls – Help fund the programs of an Atlanta, GA, organization that empowers teenage girls and has tackled street harassment through workshops and music.

Hollaback – Support the NYC-based organization so they can fund new Hollaback websites around the world and launch a bystander campaign in 2012.

Holla Back DC! – Fighting street harassment in the nation’s capitol, Holla Back DC! is working toward becoming a 501(c)3 with a few programs, including RightRides DC. Donate to them to help make that a reality.

International Center for Research on Women – ICRW focuses on many important international issues, including violence against women; they include street harassment as part of it. They conduct research to better understand the incidence of violence, costs associated with it and factors that lead to it. They also build evidence on interventions designed to prevent violence against women, particularly comprehensive approaches that include economically empowering women, involving boys and men, protecting survivors of violence and rehabilitating men who are abusive.

The Line – Help fund programs to raise awareness of healthy sexual boundaries, important work that can help prevent street harassment and sexual assault.

Men Can Stop Rape – Support rape prevention programming in middle and high schools and colleges that focuses on providing boys with a safe place to talk about masculinity issues and learn healthy definitions of manhood.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): Individuals across the United States can seek immediate assistance and advice if they or someone they know are survivors of rape and sexual violence via RAINN’s national phone hotline and online chat feature.

Right Rides for Women’s Safety – For more than seven years RightRides has been giving free rides home to women and male members of the LGBQT community on Friday and Saturday nights in New York City. This free service is particularly helpful to people who cannot afford a cab and are reliant on buses and subways and feel unsafe waiting for or taking these late at night.

The White Ribbon Campaign – Support an international organization that works to educate young men and boys about gender equity, respect and healthy relationships.

Women for Women International – Help fund programming that helps women in war-torn areas gain skills and resources necessary to rebuild their lives and increase their safety in their community. You can also sponsor an individual woman as a sister.

Young Women for Change – This new organization based in Afghanistan is tackling street harassment in their country, among other issues. Donations will go a long way in the work they do.

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

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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 ?

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Look out Lebanon, an anti-harassment truck is heading your way

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From today until 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.”

This creative idea comes from the feminist collective Nasawiya as part of their The  Adventures of Salwa Campaign. Salwa is a cartoon character who whacks street harassers and sexual harassers with her red purse.

You can read the Adventures of Salwa guide for fighting sexual harassment and watch all of the videos online.

I think it’s time for Salwa to get an American cousin who fights sexual harassment in the USA too…!!

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