Case Update: Hyatt Housekeepers Sexually Harassed and Sacked

Faculty and community leaders with Martha and Lorena Reyes, after delivering a faculty petition signed by hundreds to Greg Penner, a member of Hyatt's board of directors.

Published on February 22, 2012 at 4:38 pm

Mini Skirt Marchers Take Back the Streets of Johannesburg

BY VICTORIA TRAVERS

Last Friday hundreds of men and women gathered in the streets of Johannesburg for the “Mini Skirt March” organized by the ANC Women’s League to condemn sexual violence in South Africa.

The march began in Johannesburg’s Central Business District at a taxi rank on Bree Street. 300 protesters turned up brandishing banners and kitted out in skirts and mini skirts of all varieties.

The march, the first of which took place in 2008, was organized in response to the sexual harassment of two young women as they stood in the Noord Street taxi rank last December. The pair were taunted by a group of men about their clothes, groped, snapped with the harassers’ cellphones and masturbated in front of. Both women were in attendance at the march.

Friday’s demonstration was supported by a number of prominent political figures, including South Africa’s Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, as well as, several other activist groups.

The World Health Organization published a study last September, which revealed that 42 percent of South African women aged 13 to 23 have experienced sexual assault “during social outings.” This is also a country that deems “Corrective Rape” as a justifiable “cure” for “being a lesbian.”

Published on February 22, 2012 at 1:13 pm

A Week in Our Shoes: 2/12/12

Me and Shawna From Hollaback! Baltimore

BY EMILY MAY

Hey there supporters and revolutionaries! Check out this week’s news and updates from the world of Hollaback!

Out and about: International movement intern Natalie attended a Hunter College V-Day event in Manhattan to spread the Hollaback! gospel and today, international movement coordinator Veronica will take a trip to Columbia University to talk about the wonders of Hollaback! at their V-Day event.

Hollaback! around the world: Aisha Zakira and the rest of the Hollaback! Mumbai team spoke at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences last night in Mumbai, India. The team talked about the myths surrounding street harassment, bystander intervention and how to respond to street harassers. I also met with Shawna from Hollaback! Baltimore, who recently celebrated their one year anniversary with party Dance Your Panties On. So congratulations Hollaback! Baltimore!

In the press: I was featured in the New York Times, along with several other travel experts, this week giving handy travel tips to keen explorers. I told them:

“The mile-high club is only cool when it’s consensual… You’d be surprised at the number of people who think groping people in their sleep, masturbating under blankets or harassing fellow passengers is a good idea. And if you experience or witness any of these behaviors, don’t be afraid to tell the flight staff.” Read the full article here!

I was also a guest this week on the Tonya Hall Show, talking about social media and social change. Hollaback! Mexico had a shout out in online publication Kaja Negra and Hollaback! Chennai was featured in online publication Women’s Web, discussing the necessity of changing attitudes towards street harassment.

Join us: We need new board members! This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new initiative, and to help lead the way as we explore new platforms for making social change in a networked world.

Thanks Hollaback! supporters for another fantastic week of fighting street harassment and keeping the revolution alive!

HOLLA and out!

Emily

Published on February 17, 2012 at 4:12 pm

Airport Scanner Agents Target Female Travelers

BY VICTORIA TRAVERS

The TSA, the government body responsible for protecting the nation’s transportation systems to ensure safe travel, have received several complaints from women who claim to have been targeted by airport screeners to view their bodies.

According to online magazine Wired.com, Ellen Terrell, who travelled from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport told CBS News that a female agent appeared to be singling out certain females on request from male agents in an adjacent room. Terrell was even directed through the scan a number of times because the picture was said to be “blurry.”

Following the third scan the TSA agent apparently became agitated telling her co-workers on her microphone:

“Guys, it is not blurry, I’m letting her go.”

Terrell told CBS that she felt “totally exposed” and was positive that their only motive for sending her through the scanner multiple times was to “have a nice look” at her body.

Another woman said that she felt “targeted by the TSA employee to go through the see-you-naked machine because” she is “a semi-attractive female.” While another said:

“The screener appeared to enjoy the process of picking someone rather than doing true random screening. I felt this was inappropriate. A woman behind me was also ‘randomly selected.’”

CBS contacted the TSA and this is the response that they received:

“All of our millimeter wave technology units including those in Dallas have been upgraded with additional privacy enhancements that no longer display passenger-specific images… To further ensure passenger privacy and anonymity, a privacy filter was applied to blur all images.”

Good job too! It seems like a no brainer to me that males would be allowed to view females in the “see me naked machine,” particularly as pat-downs are always performed by the same sex, the same policy should be put in place for the scanning agents. I am absolutely happy to endure the most extensive of airport security to ensure complete safety when travelling, however, it is truly staggering that there are degenerate creeps that would abuse not only the system, but would violate an individual’s fundamental human right to privacy. Terrorists are not in the habit of hiding weapons of mass destruction in their bras.

Published on February 17, 2012 at 12:05 pm

Turkey: Female Judge Takes a Vacation and Rapists Walk Free

BY CATHERINE FAVORITE

A 24-year-old rapist has escaped a prison sentence in Turkey while the only female judge was on leave on the grounds that the sex was consensual because the victim did not scream.

For two years, the woman, who is a mentally disabled widow and mother, was raped by her neighbor, who threatened to kill her and her 3 children when she said she did not want to have sex with him. It was only after discovering that the woman was 8 months pregnant, that he was arrested. Prosecutors were able to convict him based on the DNA evidence taken from the baby.

Without considering the woman’s mental state, the fact that her life was being threatened and that her children’s lives were being threatened, the court has relied on a rigid, outdated misconception on the definitions of rape. In a country where 45 percent of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 60 have experienced physical or sexual assault, it can be difficult to see how Turkey is making inroads for gender equality. Yet, despite the troubling statistics, the voices of Turkish women and girls continues to grow in the face of increasing inequality for women. Additionally, 78 members of Turkish Parliament elected last year were women. Since the lone female judge’s absence may have carried significant sway regarding the lack of justice the rape survivor received when the rapist was released early, it could have easily played out differently had more female judges been present.

It may still be an uphill battle ensuring women have adequate legal protections from rape, domestic violence and harassment, however, as more women continue to enter the workforce, run for public office and make up almost half of college students, Turkey’s legal system will gradually be forced to acknowledge the rights of women.

Published on February 16, 2012 at 2:01 pm

Let’s Oust Homophobic Chicken Franchise at NYU!

BY CATHERINE FAVORITE

Chick-Fil-A, the American chicken restaurant has made quite a name for itself of late and it’s not for their chicken strips. Via the restaurant chain’s charity, WinShape, the organization has donated over $2 million to groups that promote anti-gay rhetoric, such as Focus On The Family, Exodus International and the Family Research Council.

Hillary Dworkoski has created a Change.org petition New York University: Stop Serving Anti-Gay Chick-Fil-A on Campus. Her petition letter reads as follows:

While Chick-fil-A denies having an “agenda against anyone,” an investigation by Equality Matters revealed that Chick-fil-A’s charitable arm, WinShape, donated nearly $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2009 alone. That $2 million supported groups such as Focus On The Family, Exodus International, and the Family Research Council.

And New York City’s only Chick-fil-A is located in a cafeteria in a New York University dorm.

NYU prides itself on being a diverse, open and inclusive campus community. Unfortunately, maintaining a contract with an anti-gay vendor like Chick-fil-A undermines what makes this university so great.

While the NYU Student Senators Council recently voted not to remove vendors for political reasons, they did retain that the school could remove vendors that violate human or labor rights. As Secretary Clinton recently announced, “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” As such, I respectfully request that NYU remove Chick-fil-A from campus.

By signing this change.org petition, you will help send a strong message to New York University, an institution which “prides itself on being a diverse, open and inclusive campus community,” that by keeping the chain they are doing the exact opposite of what they preach.

Published on February 15, 2012 at 3:33 pm

Do the words “Felony Assault” Mean Anything to the Grammys?

BY ADMIN

Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg summed up the Chris Brown’s/Grammys debacle perfectly on Twitter last weekend when he said:

“Chris Brown? I don’t look to the Grammys for moral clarity, but, really? Do the words ‘felony assault’ mean anything at all?”

And The Atlantic writer is not the only person that feels this way. The Grammys and Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich have been receiving criticism left, right and center for giving Brown a second chance to perform at the event. Particularly after Ehrlich dared to say that the Grammys were victims of the grisly 2009 incident. Of course our hearts bleed and our violins play for the trauma that must have been caused to the Grammys, compared with the injuries sustained by Rihanna that showed welts above her eyebrows, bruises on her cheeks and bloodied lips.

Despite turning himself, it seemed that 1,400 hours of community service, domestic violence counseling and a 50 yard restraining order was a trivial punishment for the crime. The most disturbing fallout from allowing Brown to play the Grammys were twitter responses to his performance such:

“”Not gonna lie, I’d let Chris Brown beat me.”

Which is why we need to act! Activist Brett Simons has started Change.org petition The Grammys: Apologize to Domestic Violence Victims. The petition already has 1,090 signatures but it needs 1,500. So get clicking and make sure the Recording Academy understand the severity of their actions.

Published on February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm

Interview: Meet One of the Minds Behind the bSafe Smart Phone App

BY CATHERINE FAVORITE

We had a chance to pick the brain of one of the business minds behind the bSafe smart phone app, Nils Knagenhjelm. Created by Bipper, (the makers of smart phone safety apps), “bSafe”, among other things, allows the user to alert selected contacts of their whereabouts, in case they find themselves in a threatening situation, with a simple touch of a button. Nils shared his insights behind bSafe, as well as his inspiration for working for Bipper.

Why did you decide to work for Bipper? 

About 3 years ago, my wife (who is American) had a scary experience while we were on vacation in my hometown of Oslo, Norway. She had been out to dinner with my sister-in-law and was going to take a taxi from the restaurant to my parents’ house less than one mile away. However, the cab driver decided to ignore my wife’s instructions and got onto the high-way heading out of town. She told the driver to turn around, but he insisted he knew where he was going even though the 2 minute ride had turned into 10. She was lost and scared, but told the driver (who barely spoke English) my sister- in-law had the cab number and was expecting a call from her as soon as she returned home.

The driver then mentioned he mistakenly had the wrong address, made a u-turn and 10 minutes later dropped my wife off at the correct address.

First thing we agreed on after this episode was to always carry a cell-phone, but we also saw a need for an alarm or location device of some sort. Coincidentally I was introduced to Silje and Bipper shortly after and I was intrigued by the start-up that wanted to develop mobile solutions to increase personal safety for kids and families.  This was a company I could relate to and I wanted to be part in making these solutions available to everyone.
What do you think inspired the founder of Bipper, Silje Vallestad, to create this smart phone application? 

Silje has, as many other women, experienced uncomfortable and frightening situations and had her own personal reasons for developing a solution that made it easier to alert people if they felt threatened. It was initially a feature that was included in a mobile parental control solutions we developed (Silje’s own kids was the motivation for developing that solution) We got lots of feed-back from mothers (including Silje) who mentioned that they would take their kid’s phone when they went out at night for walks etc because of the safety alarm. When  Silje was named Female  Entrepreneur of the year in Norway last year she decided to use the prize money to develop bSafe and to make it available to everyone for free.
One of the options of the bSafe application, the “Risk Mode”, is that it notifies the user of dangerous areas. What sort of data does the bSafe application use to determine the level of “danger” in an area? 
The risk mode feature has actually been renamed “Follow Me” to better describe its purpose (we are working on a feature more in line with how you have explained it…). “Follow Me” is a helpful feature for those who are walking home or jogging alone. Select those Guardians you want to follow you and they will receive link to trace you live. bSafe can be set to automatically activate the alarm if you have not checked-in in time.

Smart phones are a great resource for protecting ourselves when we’re alone, in public (whether through enabling us to take photos of a street harasser, or having an emergency button that alerts contacts of our exact location). Do you see any potential for victim blaming (if, for example, someone had this app on their phone, but did not use it in the event of an assault)? 

Unfortunately victim blaming is an issue in itself. It’s hard to say who is more exposed to that. Those who have bSafe kind of apps but for some reason don’t use it, or those that get assaulted  but have no emergency app, pepper-spray or other self protection devices.
How do you think this application empowers women and the LGBTQ community, in particular?

Everyone has the right to be and feel safe, unfortunately that is not the case, which is why great initiatives like yours are launched. BSafe was developed to make people feel safer when walking alone and to give them confidence and security against threats and dangerous situations.

Knowing that you are surrounded by a network of Guardians should be a comforting feeling when you are walking alone. The ability to alert them makes you feel safer and that they can see where you are or follow your movements to make sure you get home ok adds a level of security.

With bSafe you never walk alone……….

Published on February 14, 2012 at 12:18 pm

Activism Works! Target Stalker Card Goes Bye-Bye

BY VICTORIA TRAVERS

The Target Card that is No More!

On Thursday we published an article condemning a Target Valentine’s card that trivialized stalking and urged readers to sign the Care2 petition against it. The following day target announced that they would be pulling the card from their shelves. Target spokesperson, Kristy Welker wrote in an email to Forbes:

“It is never our intent to offend guests with the products we offer and we take feedback from guests’ very seriously. We immediately made the decision to remove this card from our selection.”

So hats off to all you wonderful activists that put your index fingers to great use and signed the petition! There is a valuable lesson to be learned here and that is that ACTIVISM WORKS! And you have proved it! The power to change the world is in our awesomely capable hands, so take one of those hands and pat yourself on the back because you rock!

Published on February 13, 2012 at 11:43 am

A Week in Our Shoes: 2/10/12

Me and Councilmember Ferraras

BY EMILY MAY

Hello Hollaback! supporters and revolutionaries!

Take a look at this week ‘s HOLLAnews and updates with our latest installment:

- Awesome Collaborations: We spent the week hanging out with Jenn Sayre and Marigail Sexton from national bystander campaign, Greendot, hammering out our collaboration with them, which will include trainings on how to be a bystander administered by our site leaders.  To learn more about our soon-to-launch bystander initiative, see our “I’ve Got Your Back” campaign video.

- Out and About: I was honored to be invited to Council Member Julissa Ferrera’s State of the District address on Thursday in Jackson Heights where she discussed her ongoing commitment to ending street harassment.  Plans for the coming year include holding the 2^nd annual street harassment hearing in April and a community safety audit in Elmhurst/Jackson Heights.

- In the Press: Hollaback! and Hollaback! Baltimore got a shout out from North Baltimore Patch columnist Mike Moran.

Thanks Hollaback! supporters for another fantastic week of fighting street harassment and keeping the revolution alive!

HOLLA and out!

Emily

Published on February 10, 2012 at 5:13 pm

אלה הטרדות הרחוב הכי זכורות שלי

טוב, אני לא בטוחה שבכלל יש מקום לעניין הזה במסגרת הזו כי ההטרדות שלי היו די ממזמן- אני היום כבר בת 28 וכל החוויות האלה משנות הנעורים אבל הרגשתי צורך לחלוק. הפעם הראשונה הייתה כשהייתי בת 11.5, אני וחברה שלי היינו בדרך לבית שלה בערב (שכונת מגורים נורמטיבית לגמרי בירושלים). עצר אותנו נער בערך בגילנו ושאל אותי מה השעה. בזמן שהסתכלתי על השעון הוא נגע לי בציצי וברח. כשהייתי בת 14/15 פעמיים ראיתי את אותו בנאדם עומד באמצע הרחוב ומאונן, בשתי הפעמים ששמתי לב אליו הוא חייך אליי. זה היה בדרך מהתחנה המרכזית לבנייני האומה במעבר בין שתי המנהרות. שוב כשהייתי בת 15 ישבתי באוטובוס והתיישב לידי איש די מבוגר. קצת אחרי שהתחילה הנסיעה היד שלו "נפלה" על הירך שלי ואני בתמימותי חשבתי שהוא זקן ועייף ושהוא לא שם לב. כמה רגעים אח"כ הוא התחיל ללטף לי את הירך. הייתי בהלם וקפאתי לגמרי ופשוט לא ידעתי מה לעשות. לקח לי זמן שנראה כמו נצח להבין שאני צריכה להגיד לו משהו. לקח לי עוד נצח כדי להגות את המילה "סליחה?" הוא קם מיד וירד מהאוטובוס. ושוב כשהייתי בת 15 ישבתי באוטובוס והתיישב לידי מישהו נניח בן 40. הוא התחיל לדבר איתי והשיחה הייתה קלילה אבל מתישהו הוא הסיט את הנושא לסקס. עצם העלאת הנושא לא הפריעה לי אבל ככל שהשיחה נמשכה הרגשתי פחות בנוח. הכי הגעיל אותי כשהוא אמר לי שהוא "מקווה שגם לבת שלו מישהו יעשה את השיחה הזו", רציתי להקיא עליו. אני לא ממש זוכרת מה אמרתי ואם בכלל הגבתי. אלה הטרדות הרחוב הכי זכורות שלי. נשלח על ידי הדר

Published on 2012-02-23 06:45:15

Appel à participation

Hollaback France aimerait beaucoup être plus actif en ligne et hors ligne. Pour cela nous avons besoin de vous. Il y existe plusieurs façon de participer à Hollaback, selon le temps que vous pourrez ou souhaiterez y consacrer : - Vous avez du temps, des idées et des projets et souhaitez vous engager dans une organisation. Rejoignez Hollaback, devenez membre à part entière et participez à la vie interne de l'organisation. - Vous souhaitez exprimer et partager vos opinions, sans vous engager davantage. Ecrivez quelques billets par mois et publiez-les sur notre site. - Vous avez un blog et souhaiteriez que nous re-publiions un de vos articles. Contactez-nous, vos articles seront signés de votre nom et le lien de votre blog apparaîtra. Vos participations peuvent prendre diverses formes (textes, interviews, fictions, vidéos, images...) mais devront avoir un fonds féministe. Nous avons des sujets privilégiés : le harcèlement et les inégalités de genre dans les espaces publics, l'intervention des passants dans une situation de harcèlement, l'image des femmes dans les médias, la luttes contre les stéréotypes... Mais sommes ouverts à toute suggestion ! Contact : france (at) ihollaback.org N'attendez plus, engagez-vous !  

Published on 2012-02-22 21:46:43

Stephanie's Story: No, we would not like to have an orgy

I was walking with my sister and best friend in a slightly sketchy part of Albany and some guy asked us if we wanted to have an "orgy." Gross!

Published on 2012-02-22 21:46:09

Interview with Holly Kearl, author of Stop Street Harassment

After her wonderful talk at PSU last week on harassment in school and on the streets, I had the opportunity to interview Holly Kearl and understand her views on why street harassment happens and what we can do to stop it.  Holly is clearly a wealth of information, and the interview below is full of helpful tactics and resources! 1. How did you get involved with street harassment and harassment in schools? My involvement with street harassment began when I wrote my master’s thesis on the topic in 2007. There was an information gap and so I started to fill it in different ways, first with my website and blog, then with my book, and now by organizing International Anti-Street Harassment Week and giving talks across the country on the topic. For my day job, I work at AAUW and addressing and preventing sexual harassment in schools and the workplace is included in their area of focus. Because of my work on street harassment, I had the opportunity to co-research and write a national study on sexual harassment in schools with AAUW’s director of research, Dr. Catherine Hill. 2. Why do you think street harassment is so pervasive in our culture? Some of the root causes for street harassment include societal disrespect for women, the objectification of women, homophobia and transphobia, and unhealthy definitions of masculinity that encourage men to harass not only women but also other men, particularly men who do not seem to adhere to traditional definitions of masculinity. Some days it feels like everything in our culture reinforces and supports these behaviors. I know the media gets a lot of blame for things but they truly are prime examples, from marketers that use women’s bodies to sell products, to industries that value women’s looks more than their brains or talents, to commercials that tell men what “real men” do or don’t do. I also see a lot of reinforcement of these ideas from generation to generation. From older women or mothers who tell girls that the harassment is a compliment or that they should just learn to avoid it or ignore it, to men who harass women in front of their sons or try to bond with sons or younger brothers over objectifying and harassing women. Over and over I encounter people who believe street harassment is a compliment or no big deal or “the way things are,” and these attitudes reinforce street harassment, silences people who experience it, and give harassers a free pass to continue to do it. 3. What do you think are the best ways for someone to respond when they are harassed on the street? Unfortunately, there is no one "best" way to respond to street harassment in every circumstance, in either public places or the workplace. Harassed persons must decide for themselves based on what is happening, where, and by whom, which response will make them feel both safe and empowered. However, the more informed people are about options for responding, the better they can be at making that decision. Most people know how to ignore or avoid a harasser, but many may not know how to have an assertive response. Learning assertive responses is very important because those are often the most effective kind for holding the harasser accountable for his or her actions and deterring future harassment and because it usually feels empowering to the harassed person. Here are five suggestions for assertive responses, informed by advice by former DC Rape Crisis Director and anti-sexual harassment trainer and author Martha Langelan, Defend Yourself founder Lauren R. Taylor, and sexual harassment expert and "godmother of Title IX," Dr. Bernice Sandler. a) Name the behavior and state that it is wrong. For example say, "Do not whistle at me, that is harassment," or "Do not touch my butt, that is sexual harassment." b) Tell them exactly what you want. Say, for example, "move away from me," "stop touching me," or "go stand over there." c) Make an all-purpose anti-harassment statement, such as: “Don’t harass me” or "Stop harassing people. I don't like it. No one likes it. Show some respect." Speak it in a neutral but assertive tone. d) Turn what they say or do around into a joke or make a clever statement in response. e) Identify the perpetrator: "Man in the yellow shirt, stop touching me." (This is especially useful if other people are nearby). Reporting harassers to police, transit workers, store owners, and their employer (if they are clearly harassing on the job) are other viable options. 4. Other than responding in the moment to street harassment, what can we do to help fight it? Share our stories to bring more attention and understanding to the issue. People care about issues that impact the people they care about…so I think more people would care about this issue if they realized how it affects their loved ones. Mentor and educate youth to know appropriate and respectful ways to interact and what their rights are if someone harasses them. Create awareness-raising initiatives at the community level. Campaign for concrete changes, like city ordinances, harassment studies, and awareness-raising public service announcement. 5. How do you think street harassment fuels the oppression of women and LGBTQ folks? Street harassment causes many women and LGBTQ individuals to restrict their lives in different ways to try to be safe and unharassed. This limits their mobility and ability to do things like attend night classes, go to networking events, and freely walk around their city. The harassment reinforces and reminds them of their second-class citizenship and the way they are devalued in our society. 6. What is international street harassment week and what do you hope it can accomplish? Amazing activists and ordinary individuals around the world work hard year-round to make public places safer…but there is strength in numbers. During the third week of March, the 18-24, everyone will join forces to collectively raise awareness that street harassment is a global problem and work toward solutions.  There are 6 options for how people can participate and together we can bring more attention to this pervasive problem and help facilitate time/space to brainstorm community solutions.

Published on 2012-02-22 20:28:29

Case Update: Hyatt Housekeepers Sexually Harassed and Sacked

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Faculty and community leaders with Martha and Lorena Reyes, after delivering a faculty petition signed by hundreds to Greg Penner, a member of Hyatt's board of directors."][/caption]

Published on 2012-02-22 16:38:10

Mini Skirt Marchers Take Back the Streets of Johannesburg

BY VICTORIA TRAVERS Last Friday hundreds of men and women gathered in the streets of Johannesburg for the “Mini Skirt March” organized by the ANC Women’s League to condemn sexual violence in South Africa. The march began in Johannesburg’s Central Business District at a taxi rank on Bree Street. 300 protesters turned up brandishing banners and kitted out in skirts and mini skirts of all varieties. The march, the first of which took place in 2008, was organized in response to the sexual harassment of two young women as they stood in the Noord Street taxi rank last December. The pair were taunted by a group of men about their clothes, groped, snapped with the harassers’ cellphones and masturbated in front of. Both women were in attendance at the march. Friday’s demonstration was supported by a number of prominent political figures, including South Africa’s Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, as well as, several other activist groups. The World Health Organization published a study last September, which revealed that 42 percent of South African women aged 13 to 23 have experienced sexual assault “during social outings.” This is also a country that deems “Corrective Rape” as a justifiable “cure” for "being a lesbian."

Published on 2012-02-22 13:13:55

על הדרך החליק לטיפה על הישבן שלי

לפני כמה שנים עשיתי את שביל ישראל. כחלק מהשביל, אותו עשיתי עם קבוצה לא קטנה, ישנו מחוץ למפעלים באזור דימונה. במהלך הערב ניסינו להשתלב בארוחת הערב של אחד המפעלים, אך ללא הצלחה, מאחר והשומר היה די תוקפני כלפינו. הוא כנראה היה רגיל לשמש כחסם בפני אותם שביליסטים. אולם התנהגותו היתה תוקפנית באופן אישי יותר, כך זה הרגיש. מאוחר יותר באותו הלילה כאשר כולם ישנו שוחחתי בפלאפון, ונגמרה לי הבטריה. באופן די טבעי ניגשתי לבוטקה של השומר (כאמור, ישנו בבוטקה שמחוץ למפעל). דפקתי בדלת, ושאלתי אותו אם יש אפשרות שאטעין את הפלאפון בביתן. באופן מפתיע, הוא לא רק השיב לחיוב, אלא אף היה בעל סבר פנים חביבות למדי. הוא הזמין אותי להיכנס, סגר את הדלת, ועל הדרך החליק לטיפה על הישבן שלי. באותו הרגע לקחתי את החפצים שלי, מילמלתי 'לא צריך, תודה' ויצאתי משם כל עוד יכולתי, מלווה בקריאות 'מה קרה'. --- אחרי כמה ימים יצרתי קשר עם מנהלי המפעל. המנהל, גבר כמובן, התעקש שאסביר לו מה כוונתי ב'הטרדה מינית' לפני שהוא מעביר אותי לעובדת שמטפלת בעניינים מסוג זה. הייתי צריכה לשחזר את זה מולו. ובהמשך כמובן מולה. אחרי מספר שבועות הם יצרו איתי קשר. אמרו שאם אני רוצה אני יכולה לתבוע את השומר אזרחית, אבל שהם מבחינתם שאלו אותו, הוא הכחיש. הם עשו גם הדרכה על הנושא מול כל המפעל. הייתי אומרת שתגובתם איננה מבוטלת, אך לומר שהשומר הזה וכדומיו לא יעשו את זה שוב? יעשו בלי שום ספק. כנראה גם יקחו את זה יותר רחוק בפעם הבאה. ועדיין, אני מקווה שכל אחת ואחת מהמוטרדות גם תדע לעצור את זה בזמן וגם תדווח.   נשלח על-ידי מור

Published on 2012-02-21 20:23:32

Language, Rape Culture and Post-Colonial Asia

"...The term “outrage of modesty” (or OM, as it’s known in acronym-friendly Singapore), which means “molestation’ or “sexual assault,” is just one example of the host of dated terms Singapore legalese has inherited from the British colonial era. Another example is the use of “insult of modesty” instead of the more modern “sexual harassment.” These obscure terms date from the Victorian era – to be precise, from the Indian Penal Code of 1860. Both phrases assume, of course, that a person has some inherent trait that can be considered “modesty” to begin with. Singaporean law (under Section 157(d) of the Evidence Act, which is based on the Indian Evidence Act of 1872) also refers to “morality” by allowing for the examination of the sexual history of a rape victim in order to demonstrate that a victim was “of immoral character.”  (Thankfully, in large part due to the campaigning of local NGO AWARE, Law Minister K Shanmugan has announced his intention to repeal this section by early 2012.) It’s not surprising that references to modesty and morality existed in the legal language of British-administered colonies back in 1860. That was a time period when women were overwhelmingly viewed as weak, vulnerable and in need of protection. The question is what impact the use of such terms in today’s world has on our perception of these crimes.  Language about modesty and morality is, after all, loaded with social assumptions about gender.  While outrage of modesty can be committed against a man, the Stay Safe poster depicts a female victim – and few people would ever imagine that the advice on the poster might be provided for anyone but females..." Read the whole story...

Published on 2012-02-21 16:50:29

"You know how I know you're not a street woman?" | KT's Story

I was walking up the street headed to my favorite little store when I saw a man on a bike ... I had my earphones plugged into my phone and immediately called my brother, hoping to have a buffer because the guy started saying "Hey Sweetie! Sweetie!" as soon as I got close. My brother didn't pick up but I pretended to be talking to him -- sometimes that sort of thing works; I can't tell you how many times I've had pretend phone conversations when I felt uncomfortable in public. Anyway, I greeted and said my brother's name as the guy continued to follow me, calling "Sweetie! Sweetie!" but when I said my brother's name, the guy on the bike said, "That's not my name, it's [whatever it was, I was way too freaked out to recall, but it might've been Walt]." About that time my brother actually called me back but in my distress and haste to answer I accidentally hung up on him. Walt, or whatever, picked up his rhetoric, saying "You know how I know you're not a street woman?" and repeating it several times when I didn't answer. He'd followed me for a couple blocks now, and I was starting to get scared, so I said, "Please leave me alone, I'm on the phone with my brother." Well, I got half through that and he started with the usual, "FUCK YOU BITCH" sort of thing; I tuned it out because he was finally riding away, I'd successfully dialed my brother by this time, and he answered about then. Luckily I was now at my destination, but I saw the man up ahead, beyond the store's lot, and he appeared to be waiting for me. I ducked into the store, nervous, still on the phone with my brother. I recounted to him what had happened and, as per the usual, he made a show of threatening the guy. Which, you know, I appreciate, but he lives in a different state, so not really useful in the here and now. Anyway, I talked to him about what'd happened and he actually was totally sympathetic -- to the point where I was genuinely moved. I told him a little of what it was like to have someone follow you or have someone harass you and how a lot of times my male friends have said, "Oh, I would love it if someone complimented me!" and how infuriating that is. And he totally got it. Anyway, I spent about twenty minutes in the store hoping the guy wouldn't wait around for me and wanting to murder my Catch The Bus ap because it was down and I couldn't see when the next bus was coming -- I had been hoping to jump on that just in case. Lucky for me, the guy was gone when I finally left the store, but I stayed on the phone with my brother just to sort of feel more secure as I walked home. As we chatted I told him that if he ever saw someone bothering a woman on the street to please intervene if possible, and he said that he absolutely would. Honestly, what happened really sucked and freaked me out, but I am really thankful for the conversation I had with my brother and that I know he is both sympathetic to AND will stand up for any victims of street harassment that he sees.

Published on 2012-02-21 01:29:32

Blogueuse féministe : je que les gens pensent que je suis et ce que je suis vraiment

Vous avez certainement vu circuler le meme "Ce que les gens pensent que je suis/Ce que je suis vraiment" sur vos réseaux sociaux ces derniers jours. Celui-ci a été publié sur Twitter par @anti_sexisme et nous a bien fait rire.    

Published on 2012-02-20 20:08:55

Assault does not discriminate.

Assault does not discriminate. It happens. Period. Too often. One of three are victims. I am. I never thought I would be. I do not feel sorry for myself, I only empathize stronger. -Anonymous

Published on 2012-02-20 17:27:00

Y otro más

Mito #10. Mientras no sea violento, no hace daño. El acoso existe dentro de un margen que va desde el abuso verbal hasta la violación. Nadie dentro de ¡Atrévete ya/Hollaback!  sugiere  que el acoso verbal, con connotación sexual o discriminatoria, y la violación sean términos intercambiables. Sin embargo, los incidentes de acoso verbal en las calles pueden causar daños mentales y emocionales considerables. Por ejemplo, para quienes han sido víctimas de hostigamiento, violación u otras formas de violencia sexual y explotación, un comentario aparentemente “inofensivo” puede desencadenar desde recuerdos traumáticos hasta ataques de pánico. Dependiendo de la persona, la recuperación de estos episodios puede tomar horas o incluso días. Existen acciones y comentarios que no dejan cicatrices físicas, pero afectan a quienes los reciben. Por otro lado, inclusive quienes no han sufrido violencia sexual en el pasado pueden percibir el acoso verbal traumatizante. Frecuentemente,  quienes tienen que lidiar diariamente con este tipo de comentarios  les producen daños emocionales que se van acumulando en el tiempo. Además, no significa que internalizar su frustración sea un hábito saludable.

Published on 2012-02-20 12:49:23

Airport Scanner Agents Target Female Travelers

A brief post on a rather scary abuse of power by TSA agents, originally posted at Hollaback! BY VICTORIA TRAVERS The TSA, the government body responsible for protecting the nation’s transportation systems to ensure safe travel, have received several complaints from women who claim to have been targeted by airport screeners to view their bodies. According to online magazine Wired.com, Ellen Terrell, who travelled from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport told CBS News that a female agent appeared to be singling out certain females on request from male agents in an adjacent room. Terrell was even directed through the scan a number of times because the picture was said to be “blurry.” Following the third scan the TSA agent apparently became agitated telling her co-workers on her microphone: “Guys, it is not blurry, I’m letting her go.” Terrell told CBS that she felt “totally exposed” and was positive that their only motive for sending her through the scanner multiple times was to “have a nice look” at her body. Another woman said that she felt “targeted by the TSA employee to go through the see-you-naked machine because” she is “a semi-attractive female.” While another said: “The screener appeared to enjoy the process of picking someone rather than doing true random screening. I felt this was inappropriate. A woman behind me was also ‘randomly selected.’” CBS contacted the TSA and this is the response that they received: “All of our millimeter wave technology units including those in Dallas have been upgraded with additional privacy enhancements that no longer display passenger-specific images… To further ensure passenger privacy and anonymity, a privacy filter was applied to blur all images.” Good job too! It seems like a no brainer to me that males would be allowed to view females in the “see me naked machine,” particularly as pat-downs are always performed by the same sex, the same policy should be put in place for the scanning agents. I am absolutely happy to endure the most extensive of airport security to ensure complete safety when travelling, however, it is truly staggering that there are degenerate creeps that would abuse not only the system, but would violate an individual’s fundamental human right to privacy. Terrorists are not in the habit of hiding weapons of mass destruction in their bras.

Published on 2012-02-20 11:50:35

Hollaback Atl and V-Day SCAD Atlanta

Come meet Atlanta Hollaback!  We’ll be at SCAD’s V-day presentation of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.”  While you’re at it, you’ll be supporting a couple of great organizations and Atlanta Hollaback will be hosting a table where you can submit harassment stories on site.   March 1st-3rd, 8pm Event Space 4C V-day SCAD Atlanta joins global effort to stop violence against women and girls.  Proceeds will go to support Innocence Atlanta, an organization fighting against modern day slavery. www.innocenceatlanta.org. Ticket Information Student Presale:  $3.00 At Door: $5.00 Faculty/Staff:  $5.00 General Admission at door: $8.00

Published on 2012-02-20 11:12:15

Canal bum grab

New submission from Lucy I was cycling by myself down the canal and had stopped to check my phone to see where I was, and was standing by my bike. A group of teenage boys on BMX bikes cycled by me and one grabbed my bum and another laughed at me. They were about 14-years-old.

Published on 2012-02-20 11:02:17

Anne's story: I wish I had atleast screamed obscenities at him

Anne John It was a warm summer afternoon and I was walking home after class, which was in a supposedly decent residential area. The streets were relatively quiet with few people around when I was approached by a middle-aged man on a bicycle. Naming a school located nearby he asked me for directions. I was looking at his face while explaining and so obviously did not notice that his fly was undone, until he suddenly interrupted me saying, “So will I find anyone there to suck this?” Shocked into silence I fled the scene while he continued shouting after me. For a long time afterwards I never took that road again. Another time, I was sitting in the aisle seat of a crowded local bus when I happened to have another open fly thrust into my field of vision. This time the man was having a field day blissfully stroking himself while leaning onto the mass of bodies surrounding him. There have been countless instances when phantom fingers have crept up slyly and pinched me or some idiot has “accidently” bumped into me on the bus. But this was the final straw. I very rarely take the local bus anymore. What did I do to handle the above two instances? Nothing. Have you ever been tongue-tied in an argument, but after the person has left you think about all the smart things that you could have possibly said? I feel much the same way. I wish I had learnt some kind of martial arts, so that I could have given the bicycle guy a kick right where he chose to expose himself. I wish I had had the mind to atleast scream obscenities at him. I wish I had had the guts to pull up the lecherous man on the bus. But I did nothing. Because I am supposedly the docile and polite good Indian girl who is conditioned not to cause trouble, not to create a scene, not to attract attention, not to stand up for herself or to speak aloud about such “embarrassing” situations. I am ashamed to admit it but I accept that I simply escaped and ran away trying in vain hope to avoid or atleast reduce the possibility of such incidents occurring again. But there are numerous women out there who don’t have that choice. Even in the face of continuous harassment they need to go out there and do what they have to do. You may well ask, what is the point of me writing about something which happened quite some time back and which is probably just a miniscule part of all the more horrible atrocities that happen every day? Nothing really. It’s just a rant. I’ve had it within me for a while and I’ve often fantasized about shouting it out to every flasher that one might have the misfortune to come across. I need it out of my system. I’ve simply decided that enough is enough. I can afford to take a taxi or an auto instead of the bus. But, as a woman I can no longer afford to keep quiet anymore. And that is why I am writing this. What’s up with you flashers? (No pun intended here) Seriously, do you think that irregular piece of flesh that you choose to whip out so proudly is going to charm anyone out there, making them go weak in their knees and into total submission?! Honestly, what on earth do you expect when you go around flaunting it to the next woman who walks by? Do you really think that it is so exquisitely beautiful and that everyone is simply dying to catch a glimpse of it? If so, here is the plain truth. No it is not. So just stuff it right back in, zip up and get the hell out of my life! This post was first published here

Published on 2012-02-20 09:35:28

"Sentí pavor al darme cuenta de que había personas capaces de actuar de esa manera"

Mi nombre es Mirella y tengo 20 años. Soy estudiante de la pedagógica y con frecuencia tomo el transmilenio para ir a la universidad. Quiero contar lo que me sucedió hace unos seis meses, por más que me vuelva a generar angustia el solo recordarlo. Estaba en el transmilenio en plena hora pico. Como de costumbre, no había nada de espacio. Yo estaba vestida normal, con jeans y un abrigo corto que me llegaba a la cintura. Nada del otro mundo. En eso, empecé a sentir una sensación extraña en la nalga, no era el roce usual de estar pegada contra otras personas. Se sentía raro, intencional. Miré hacia atrás y vi que había un hombre de unos 40 años, bien vestido, con traje y corbata. Nunca me había pasado nada parecido, así que quise darle a este señor el beneficio de la duda, y me moví lo suficiente como para que me dejara de rozar. A los pocos minutos, otra vez estaba detrás mío. Esta vez sí pude sentir que él tenía la palma de la mano abierta contra mi nalga. Podía sentir los dedos, aunque no los movía. Fui tan ilusa que pensé que no lo estaba haciendo a propósito, pensé que era mi imaginación. Creo que en el fondo prefería negar lo que me estaba pasando para evitar la escena desagradable de tener que enfrentar una situación de este tipo. Para estar segura, me di vuelta y lo miré a los ojos, a ver qué pasaba. En eso el "señor" me susurró: "todas las nalgas deberían ser así de firmes como la tuya". En ese momento sentí mucho miedo, sí, sentí pavor al darme cuenta de que había personas capaces de actuar de esa manera. Quería decir algo, pero sentía que no tenía voz, que no podía emitir sonidos... Traté de convencerme de que nada había pasado y me bajé en la parada siguiente, aunque no era mi parada. El tipo siguió en el bus, como si nada. Cuando el bus se fue, sin darme cuenta, empecé a llorar desconsoladamente. Muchas de las personas que esperaban los buses me miraban como si estuviera loca, otras miraban para otro lado. En un momento dado, una señora de unos 60 años se me acercó y me preguntó si estaba bien. Me puse a llorar más fuerte aun, pero conseguí explicarle lo que me había sucedido. La señora, cuyo nombre desconozco, me tomó de la mano y dijo algo que no recuerdo que incluía las palabras "desgraciados" y "malparidos". Luego me preguntó a dónde iba y me animó para que me subiera al próximo bus. Ojalá esa señora algún día lea este testimonio y sepa lo mucho que significó para mí el apoyo que me brindó en ese momento tan triste.

Published on 2012-02-20 04:29:07