Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Hopefully that guy learned his lesson and didn’t harass any other women that night.”

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My most recent brush with Street Harassment was this last Tuesday aka, Mardi Gras. It actually turned out to be kind of funny.

So I was on my way to meet friends. Even though I live in NOLA, I still can forget where certain streets are. I had to back track to find them. As I’m passing a group of young guys one calls out to me, “You made a huge mistake walking by yourself little girl.”

I was actually on my cell at the time. The guy proceeds to lunge at me. I’m guessing I was supposed to jump or scream in fear. That kind of behavior pisses me off.

I responded with, “Get the F*#K away from me! Don’t ever think you can approach a woman like this again, you piece of sh*t! You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass … with heels on. Now shoo” (that’s my sanitized response, pretty sure I cursed a bit more).

His friend tried to block my way, I told him in my coldest voice to “Move” then, pushed him aside. They listened. They looked shocked, even a bit embarrassed.

My friend on the phone thought I was talking to him! I had to explain what happened – that was the funny part.

The reality is that certain guys get off on trying to intimidate women. They are sick. Hopefully, that guy learned his lesson and didn’t harass any other women that night.

– Megan

Location: Royal Street, New Orleans, LA

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Street harassment snapshot: March 13, 2011

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Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past week and find relevant announcements and upcoming street harassment events.

Street Harassment Stories:

I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story!

You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

Events:

  • March 15: International Approaches to Stopping Street Harassment Talk, Georgia College, Museum Education Room, Milledgeville, GA, 5 p.m.
  • March 16: Street Harassment Workshop, Georgia College, Women’s Resource Center, Milledgeville, GA, 12:30 p.m.
  • March 19: Stop Street Harassment Talk, Old Parish House/Women’s Club
    4711 Knox Road, College Park, MD, 11 a.m.
  • March 19: HarassMap is organizing anti-street harassment activism in Cairo, Egypt!
  • March 20: International Anti-Street Harassment Day – happening all over the world!
  • March 22: HollaBack London meeting, 420 Kingsland Road, unknown time

International Anti-Street Harassment Day:

It’s only two weeks away! Participate in the first annual International Anti-Street Harassment Day on March 20!!!

Announcements:

New:

On-going:

10 Tweets from the Week:

  • HollabackEP Went for a lovely walk with my mom. Yeah, I still got harassed. Doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, or who you’re with. #StreetHarassment
  • bibliofeminista Street harassed on the streets of DC today by a man who yells: “Whoa, legs!” Me: “Yup, I have them.” #gross #streetharassment
  • TingyN #saynoto abuse and harassment in the street making people feel vulnerable in their every day lives
  • FeministInti Feminism isn’t a zero sum game, we can fight against street harassment, for abortion AND to end domestic violence and rape. It all counts.
  • Tweetsbian Creepy mullet dude gave me the turn-catcall-stare on a dark sidewalk. Think my ovaries have shriveled up a bit.
  • KimberlynnAce Nope…was wrong. street harassment is rampant as ever on international women’s day. All this tells me is that we gotta go to work. #iwd2011
  • Dina_T Is there some sort of sexual street harassment quota that Egyptian men are trying to achieve today? Kefaya!
  • equalitynow From FB: Passing some kind of legislation against street harassment. There is no equality while women feel unsafe. #100steps
  • SophiaAlMaria Make street-harassment a relic of pre-revolutionary #Egypt. Support http://www.harassmap.org/ on International Women’s Day.
  • disasterous007 If you ever walk alone to your car without thinking someone might attack you, this isn’t your day. #internationalwomensday
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Victory: “Sexual harassment is a crime leave me alone or I will report you.”

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After school yesterday I was walking to get on the Q train and some guy comes up to me and goes, “You got great legs baby!”

Ok im 15 he was like 43. Gross. So I said, “Excuse me, you probably have a daughter older than me.”

He goes, “Sorry you just look so sexy in that schoolgirl outfit I couldn’t help it and you do have great legs.”

So then I said, “Sexual harassment is a crime leave me alone or I will report you…”

He turned and walked the opposite direction in a very rapid fashion!

I count that as a win for me because I hear things like that all the time and I finally stood up for my self and said something. I shouldn’t have to feel dirty because of some asshole!

– Brittney

Location: Church Street, New York City

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Woman turns down job because of constant harassment in Jordan

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The Middle East seems to be breeding grounds central for street harassment and Jordan was no exception. I speak not only for myself but for all expat women who have lived, or still live in the Middle East, when I say that street harassment there is a problem we face multiple times every day and it slowly wears you away, grinding away your confidence and sense of security.

The harassment ranged from leering stares, cat calls, sexually explicit comments and sometimes grabbing and groping.
Given the chance to go back to a higher paying, wonderful job, I turned it down, as no doubt countless others have as well, in large part because I was tired of being harassed day in and day out. It does not matter what women wear, they all still get harassed. Responding in any way only seemed to egg the guys on, rendering us (rather) powerless in terms of finding a solution to the problem.

The slow erosion of self that many experience show the truly damaging effect street harassment of all levels can have.

– Anonymous

Location: Jordan

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Woman stops the harassment of her 13-year-old daughter

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I was crossing the road with my 13-year-old daughter, we were at the crossing waiting for the lights to turn red so we could cross.

A male hung out of the passenger side of a car shouting, “You in the white turn round” (my daughter was the one in white). I yelled back her age, and his driver friend looked mortified. I memorized the license plate number in a manner so that they could see and yelled NONCE (not of normal criminal evidence apparently). I was so angry.

He shouted that he “didn’t know!”

Oh so it’s ok to yell at females in the street and ask them to turn round so males like him can get a better look?

– Anonymous

Location: near my house

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.

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