STREET HARASSMENT, Let’s Talk.

 billypenn.com

On my way to visit a friend just a couple of blocks away, I passed a group of boys they were about 8 of them. I was so busy with my phone that it took me a few seconds to realize the loud voices I heard were in fact directed at me. One of them called out “Hey” and another, then another, having been in a similar situation before I decided to just ignore them. But being ignored didn’t make them stop. One of them called dumb as the other one called me ugly. I wasn’t scared until one of the boys threatened to hit me with a brick for not responding. I told my friend, a guy what happened and he casually responded that they were probably drunk or high on weed, he said it in a way that sounded like it wasn’t their fault, and they too were victims.

That was just one example of how I have been a victim of street harassment. Street Harassment can be defined as harassment done in public primarily by male strangers to females in public (Urban Dictionary). Some scholars have referred to it as “street remarks” (Wikipedia) but I think that definition only   reduces harassment to something as harmless as an innocent remark. It goes way beyond “remark” and also if the “remark” is unwanted then that is Street harassment. Most women have reported  to have experienced street harassment in form of unwanted comments, obscene gestures, name calling, cat calling, touching by strangers, following and wolf whistling. It can happen anywhere in public; in Malawi most girls and women have reported that they experienced street harassment mostly at the markets and the bus depot.

 

Unfortunately, street harassment is a daily experience to a majority of girls and women. I have had several conversations with my friends about street harassment, Rose tells me of how a street vendor grabbed her butt at the market, Mary tells me of how uncomfortable and scary it was to be followed by an unknown man on her way back from work and Rhoda, my best friend tells me how embarrassing it was to be called a slut in public by both the driver and conductor after she refused to board their minibus.  I asked some of my male friends and relatives, if they have ever been called names by a stranger, been touched, been whistled at? Or experienced any form of street harassment. My brother Max laughed instead of answering my question “what? “Who would dare harass me?” he said it as if it were a challenge. He continued to tell me that it is very unlikely for a man or boy to be harassed in the streets. It often happens if he (the guy) has been singled out by the public as being different, for example a gay guy, he concluded.

 

Unfortunately, the perpetrators of street harassment think it is okay to do so mostly because they are not called out on it, to most onlookers it’s just something that happens. People don’t realize what this might do to a victim. Street harassment has a lot of effects on the victim. Most of the victims might end up blaming themselves, getting angry, sad and feeling unsafe in public.

 

 People should know that just because street harassment in form of insults, sexual jokes are considered harmless it still counts as a form of sexual harassment and it still remain unacceptable. Men should understand that girls being in public doesn’t make them public property.

To girls and women who have been street harassed, it wasn’t your fault, don’t blame yourself. You have tried not drawing any attention to yourself, avoided certain places and even changed your dressing, none of that will keep you from being harassed.

 

I know there isn’t any right way to stop or prevent yourself from being a victim, I strongly believe the focus should be put on the perpetrators. I propose there should be more public awareness campaigns on all forms of harassment towards women, women’s rights and freedom. It should be aired TVs, radios, posters about street harassment should be everywhere especially in areas where they are likely to occur. Women and girls should know that what is being done to them isn’t right and they shouldn’t tolerate. The campaigns should be so intense that the perpetrators would never consider cat calling, touching a woman in public. Everyone should take part in ending street harassment, it could be an onlooker letting the perpetrator know that it's not right.

 

Have you ever experienced any form of street harassment or know anyone who has? If so, how did you or they handle it? Please let me know in the comment box.