Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, which I hope you will all note. If it takes you a little by surprise (I admit it this happened to me last year, cue me greeting people in my office with a cheery “Did you have a good International Women’s Day… yesterday?”) don’t worry, because it’s never too late to celebrate Women and, most importantly, mobilise.
From the 18th until the 24th of March it is international Anti-Street Harassment Week. Expanding into an entire week after the huge response to 2011’s International Anti-Street Harassment Day, when more than 2000 people from 13 countries participated.
Men and women took part to end street harassment in Delhi, Cairo, Washington DC, Kabul and New York. All inspired by Stop Street Harassment blog founder Holly Kearl.
From the 18th until the 24th of March it is international Anti-Street Harassment Week. Expanding into an entire week after the huge response to 2011’s International Anti-Street Harassment Day, when more than 2000 people from 13 countries participated.
Men and women took part to end street harassment in Delhi, Cairo, Washington DC, Kabul and New York. All inspired by Stop Street Harassment blog founder Holly Kearl.
Perhaps you aren’t clear on what street harassment is. Perhaps you think it would be amusing if the local butcher ordered you to smile, each time you walked passed his shop until the smell of raw meat makes you automatically scowl. Or perhaps you think being followed home and addressed as ‘honey-pie’ is nowt but a compliment. Maybe you think women should be pleased to be addressed as ‘pssst’. When all these things happened to me last week (I know, honey-pie?!) I failed to feel flattered. I did not think ‘Yep, still got it’, I thought ‘walk faster’.
This short film, by film maker Nuala Cabral describes some of the treatment people think they have to put up with, to ignore, on the streets.
This short film, by film maker Nuala Cabral describes some of the treatment people think they have to put up with, to ignore, on the streets.
Street harassment is not solely a women’s issue. The Meet us on the Street organisation aims to support all those who encounter street harassment. “Catcalls, sexist comments, public masturbation, groping, stalking, and assault: gender-based street harassment makes public places unfriendly and even scary for many girls, women, and LGBQT folks.”
If you want to take part you can take a look at the Meet us on the Street participation page who ask you to change your Facebook profile picture and use the Twitter hashtag #EndSHWeek.
Squeamish Kate
If you want to take part you can take a look at the Meet us on the Street participation page who ask you to change your Facebook profile picture and use the Twitter hashtag #EndSHWeek.
Squeamish Kate
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