Natalie’s story: ” He yelled at me “I’m going to f***ing rape you right now you beautiful f***ing c*nt.”
Was walking from the grocery store, when the man walking towards me in the other direction started taking off his shirt. He yelled at me “I’m going to f*cking rape you right now you beautiful f*cking c*nt.” He started getting closer to me and I ran away.
Anti-Street Harassment Week in Montreal!
Hey folks, just wanted to let you know that International Anti-Street Harassment week is starting Sunday March 18! In honor of this week, we are going to be hosting a free event in the Montreal area and you are all invited to come! Hope to see you there!
–Nadia (from the Hollaback Montreal Team)
Thursday, March 22: 19h00 – 20h30
FILM SCREENING AND OPEN FORUM DISCUSSION: “War Zone” and ‘Walking Home”
Are you tired of being hooted at, gawked at, touched, or otherwise harassed as you walk down the street or in the metro?? WELL THIS IS THE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO TAKE BACK THE STREETS!
In honour of International Anti-Street Harassment Week, Hollaback Montreal is organizing a screening of the documentary film “War Zone,” which shows what happened when the director, Maggie Hadleigh-West, took to the streets with her handheld video camera and turned it on the men who whistle, jeer, and otherwise accost her. This will be preceded by several short films which also address the subject of street harassment. The film screening will be followed by an open and critical discussion about the realities of street harassment in Montreal.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook Page.
These ladies are rad! “Kick him straight in the balls and the pepper spray straight in the eyes!”
There exist people with superpowers.
They read situations with razor wits and instinct; they deploy mind control.
They size up their attackers and draw out the appropriate weapon – an earsplitting scream, a filthy look, a well-connected slap.
They are — the average woman in Delhi.
Consider this: Delhi, the Indian capital, has the highest number of reported rapes in the country and is considered the most dangerous large city for women in India. Yet, women are everywhere in this sprawling metropolis, fighting their superhero battles. Squeezed in tight on the bus to work. At overcrowded markets where hands wander. At the local bar, where they knock back a whisky but hold their drink close enough to fling it at the lecherous perv if he edges too close.
Molestation, euphemistically termed eve teasing in India, is hardly unique to Delhi, or India for that matter. But in a country where tradition and modernity flirt, and fumble, and fight, women end up honing superhuman skills to size up a situation at any given time and make detailed calculations in split seconds for their safety.
(Re)Vivre dans la nuit– événement le 8 mars!
C’PAS L’HEURE D’ALLER TE COUCHER!
amène tes glowsticks! tes bracelets fluos! tes lucioles! tes chandelles! tes feux de Bengale!
viens allumer la nuit par une marche silencieuse pour souligner la nuitée internationale des femmes
Pour plus info: http://www.facebook.com/events/254175834670112/
IT AIN’T TIME TO GO TO BED!
bring your glowsticks! your glow bracelets! your mini lights! your candles! your sparklers!
come light up the night with a silent march to mark international women’s night
For more info: http://www.facebook.com/events/254175834670112/
“Stares”
A great piece by two rad ladies, showing the complexity of street harassment and receiving male attention.
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…”
Becca’s story: ”I should never be afraid in my own city”
Yesterday something particularly scary happened to me in Montreal and I want to share in hopes that you keep yourself aware while out and about. This happened at approx 5:30pm yesterday- broad daylight.
I was walking to the doctor and was on the phone with my sister the entire time. While crossing the street at an intersection, a man passed by me walking the opposite way and stopped beside me and turned to look at me while I passed him, which was creepy but I thought nothing of it. As you ladies know, there always creepers in the streets which over the years, you become desensitized to. They say something or holler, which you just ignore or keep moving. Although this was different. 5 blocks, and roughly 5-8 minutes later I stopped to turn into the doctors office and was slammed from behind from a person walking into me at full speed. I turned around and was shocked to see it was the same creep who was crossing the street. He had literally turned around after passing me and followed me CLOSELY for 5 long street blocks and I didn’t notice because I was on the phone. So CLOSELY that as soon as I stopped he plowed into the back of me. Startled, I ran into the building and went to run up the stairs. At the same time, there was an older woman who was also trying to enter the building. The man, blocked her from entering and began running up the stairs and yelling something after me. I think I yelped or screamed or held my hands out as I ran into the office where I immediately starting balling and he never entered. The women who run the office almost called 911 as this man was obviously a threat to them as well if he was ballsy enough to cut off an old lady and enter the building. They went out after him and he had already gone. The thing was, we didn’t know if he was out there once I was done. I had to get walked out of the office and called my sister and talked the entire way home. The whole way home I was a paranoid mess turning around thinking that every man I passed was following me. THIS IS NOT A GOOD FEELING.
I know some of you are probably thinking what were you wearing? Were you dressed “appropriate”? First of all, I was going to the doctor. The outfit in question was: wool long johns with jeans over top, huge winter jacket scarf, hat, mitts. Even if I was dressed insane (which is more than likely, as fashion is a passion of mine) I should never be afraid in my own city, in RUSH HOUR to be walking down the street! This is the first and only time I have felt unsafe in Montreal, but it has definitely opened my eyes, and made me realize that no matter how safe you feel, you always need to be aware of your surroundings.
Pay ATTENTION my beautiful and precious ladies!!!!!!
This bystander intervened when a woman was being harassed. Thoughts?
http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/2012/02/fakefriend/
