Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Builders in the UK Suspended for “Wolf-Whistling”

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The building site Fish Hill Square, via Daily Mail Online

Ahh, so classic and stereotypical…

Two builders (construction workers) in the UK were suspended from work for harassing a woman walking by their work site at Fish Hill Square. The woman felt so uncomfortable, she told her husband how she didn’t want to walk past there again. That led him to write a complaint to the construction company.

This part is less stereotypical and very laudable on the part of the company: the men were identified and taken off the job for a few days.

Via the Daily Mail Online:

“They will now be allowed back after their accuser decided not to take matters further, although they are still facing a ‘discussion’ with bosses today. Maylim yesterday insisted sexist behaviour was ‘terrible for the company image’ and it was taking the allegations seriously.

Managing director Thomas O’Mahony said: ‘We acted within half-an-hour of being alerted to the complaint. It’s company policy to immediately suspend anyone who is made the subject of a complaint by the public.

‘We don’t tolerate wolf-whistling or any form of sexual harassment. It’s unacceptable – we are in the public eye and our image is important.

‘The two men are in their mid-20s and they have been invited in for a discussion. They denied the allegations and were frustrated to be off work. Now we know that the complainant doesn’t want to take this further the men will be allowed to go back to work.’”

It’s great to hear that sexual harassment is not tolerated at that workplace, by that company. A few local residents were interviewed for the Daily Mail article and everyone cited agreed with the harassers:

“Hairdresser Jane Westley said: ‘I don’t think wolf-whistling’s too much of an issue. If I got wolf-whistled I think I’d find it a compliment. It’s just what builders do.’

Another woman, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I guess it’s their bit of harmless fun while working – to admire girls walking past in the summer.’ A 34-year-old man added: ‘Everyone thinks it’s a strange complaint to make. I feel bad for the guys off work.’”

I find the comments from the residents to be unsurprising since so many people construe sexual harassment as a compliment (in neighboring Ireland, they even had a wolf-whistling contest a few years ago) or not a big enough deal for men to have to lose pay over. But it IS a big deal. Sexual harassment in public places has a very real impact on women’s lives and their perceptions of themselves and of their worth. It needs to stop.

I hope the construction company will stand firm to its policy and that the men will stop harassing women in the future!

(Many thanks to Vicky Simister at the UK Anti-Street Harassment Campaign for the story tip!)

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New film: “Do they think we like it?”

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I’m excited to share another new film about street harassment (in the past few days I’ve shared ones from Cape Town, South Africa; Delhi, India; and Philadelphia, USA). This one is from England.

Here’s the description on YouTube:

“A short film about street harassment that was researched, designed, scripted, filmed, directed and edited by volunteers from Initi8 at Nottingham Trent University with guidance and support from Gill Court at Platform 51 Nottingham. The film was inspired by Nottingham’s International Women’s Day events with the aim of raising awareness of street harassment of women and how it makes them feel.”

I’m feeling overcome by emotion witnessing the outpouring of women and men speaking out this week from all over the world. Keep it up!! Keep sharing your voices, stories, and raising awareness that street harassment happens and that it’s not okay.

 

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“Lose some weight you tramp!”

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Just before 5 p.m. on March 19th I was walking along Shude Hill in Manchester, next to the shopping centre. As I reached the crossing next to the bus station I became aware of a man standing alone on the other side shouting abuse at virtually every woman walking past. Anyone dressed up nicely was nasty, dirty, a slut, a whore, a tart etc, and I caught part of a bizarre threat involving rectal insertion directed at one teenage girl. As I walked past I got, “Lose some weight you tramp!” screamed right in my ear.

He was really close to me, and I just turned round and screamed ‘Who the **** are you?’ which did shut him up for about three seconds before he started on other women again. Everyone else just walked past ignoring him. He was just one guy on his own. I was terrified of what he might do after I shouted at him, but I was so angry that nobody was standing up to him. It took me about an hour to stop shaking.

– AJ

Location: Manchester, UK

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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Football supporters on the train

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I was taking a train back from Manchester (UK) at around 8.30 last night, and to my dismay a load of drunk football supporters also got on and sat in the seats in front of me and behind.

I was quietly reading my magazine when some of the men in front started commenting on my hair and one leant round to try and talk to me. I responded calmly and he winked at me. No harm done so far, but definitely not appreciated attention.

Unfortunately, as the train ride continued the men started to get more rowdy and were looking for entertainment. They kept making incredibly rude and sexual comments in my direction, until I was too intimidated to get up and struggle to another seat with my suitcase. I was terrified, alone, and with nowhere to go. Most upsetting to me was that I never saw a member of train staff once during my ride who I could have spoken to, the trains are unsupervised, leaving those being harrassed to fend for themselves. I don’t know of any other form of public transport where this is so often the case, and yet I’m aware that this is a common occurance.

Eventually I got up to get off the train, only to be followed with comments about my ass and what they thought of it. I was scared that they would possibly follow me off the train, as they were egging each other on to run up and touch me. Luckily I got off fast enough and walked very quickly home.

Most shamefully was that other passengers, mostly other males old enough to be my dad (I’m 20) just sat and watched whilst this happened. Do they not realise that this was someone else’s daughter, or girlfriend, or sister?

I’m considering writing to the train company about my experience, as I do feel trains should be better monitered. There is no way I should be made to feel threatened to take a train home because of my gender. It is absolutely ridiculous that people can get away with this.

I would have spoken up about it, but I was worried that fueling the fire of several very drunk men who get off on being violent and intimidating was probably a bad idea.

I would really like to see more action taken on something that has become almost expected. It shouldn’t be this way.

–  Sophie,

Location: Manchester, UK

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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Hollaback UK!

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Yay! Joining the newly launched Hollaback Savannah is another anti-street harassment website, fresh off the press today – Hollaback UK! Check out their site and if you live in the UK, send them your harassment stories.

Personally, having lived in the UK for a year when I studied abroad in college, I can attest to the problem of street harassment there. For example, one day when I was going running through an average neighborhood in Lancaster (north of Manchester, near the Lake District) I experienced my worse verbal harassment ever by a large group of guys near my age.  It felt like verbal rape and I was shaken and upset for hours after it happened. I can’t even bring myself to repeat what was said 🙁

Also, when I was analyzing anti-street harassment websites for my master’s thesis in 2007, there was one called the Anti-Street Harassment UK site that I really liked. They had a place to share stories but they also offered resources and strategies for dealing with it. They’re gone now and I’m not sure why. To my knowledge, no other anti-street harassment website is running in the UK, so, there’s a great need for Hollaback UK!

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