L’histoire de Marie: “Tu veux lacher ton velo et venir monter sur moi…on va s’amuser!”
j’avais 8 ans quand un jour je passe en velo devant une gang dado de 16-17 ans…il mont crier : heeeeyyyy cheerrrriiiee??? oui toi… tu veux lacher ton velo et venir monter sur moi..on va samuser!!!
mais cest quoi sa…javais 8 ans javais pas de forme rien ..jetais une enfant et on me crie sa…javais rien compris a se moment la.. mais aujourd hui je trouve sa tellement stupide que des gars qui sont proche detre des homme ..cris sa a une enfant…cest vraiment degueulase
This post is also available in: French
Street Harassment Is an LGBTQIA Issue, by Jae Cameron of Hollaback! NYC
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hollaback/street-harassment-is-an-l_b_3240594.html
This post is also available in: French
“He took me behind the bush and showed me his penis.”
When I was very young, two older boys in the neighborhood asked me if I “wanted ice cream”. I said yes and one of the boys took me behind the bush and showed me his penis. I don’t remember exactly what happened after – I think I just ran home.
This post is also available in: French
“But when they saw me smiling, they encircled me.”
Years ago, when I was in my early 20s, I was walking up St. Laurent to meet friends at a bar. A group of guys walked past and started hollering at me. I wasn’t intimidated so I laughed it off but when they saw me smiling, they encircled me. At that point, I became very afraid that something bad was going to happen because they were beginning to grab at me. When I started yelling and pushing them off, they scattered and I was relieved that it wasn’t worse.
This post is also available in: French
“Maybe being called out as a harasser in front of his friends took a little of the wind out of his sails.”
I was walking down the sidewalk with a friend during our lunch break, when a group of teenagers walking the other direction approached us. One of them started coming closer and shouting something, trying to get our attention. At first I didn’t quite catch what he said, as my friend and I were immersed in our own conversation, so I looked at him a bit quizzically, maybe with a half-smile because I thought maybe he needed directions or wanted a cigarette or something. (My first inclination is always to be friendly to strangers – along with using old-timey colloquialisms, it’s one of the habits of my small-town upbringing that I can’t seem to shake.) Plus, it was such a nice sunny day, one of the first warm days of spring, so I thought maybe he was just feeling happy and being loud, as teenagers are wont to do! But then he repeated himself and as it turns out he had been shouting, “Donnez moi un sourire, les filles!” (“give me a smile, girls!”) so when I realized this I gave him the stink eye instead, but too late because I had already, unwittingly, done what he asked. As he passed, he shouted, “Un vrai sourire, avec les dents” (“A real smile, with teeth!”) so I turned around and yelled back “ça c’est le harcelement!” (“This is harassment!”)
He kept walking, but didn’t seem to be laughing as hard after that. Maybe being called out as a harasser in front of his friends took a little of the wind out of his sails. I sure hope so. I am almost 30 goddamned years old…old enough to be this little fellow’s mom, and yet he has so little respect for women that he feels entitled to interrupt two adult strangers to demand us to smile for him? Like, as if we would actually be wooed by this behaviour? Or maybe it was an attempt to exert power over us? Who knows. Either way, it stinks. No, son…just no. Here’s hoping that my attempt to publicly shame this little junior harasser by naming his behaviour what it was will be enough to make him question his ways and treat women with respect in future.
This post is also available in: French
Upcoming Event: Public debate organized by the Centre d’éducation et d’action des femmes
Les lieux publics appartiennent à tous… ET À TOUTES! Pourtant, chaque jour, des femmes y sont la cible de comportements harcelants, parce qu’elles sont des femmes. Commentaires sexistes et dégradants, remarques déplacées sur l’apparence physique, sifflements, regards insistants, bruits de bisous, attouchements, etc. En collaboration avec l’artiste Conscience urbaine, des participantes du Centre d’éducation et d’action des femmes (le CÉAF) vous invitent à briser le silence autour de cette forme de violence sexiste quotidienne, trop souvent banalisée et tolérée, qui a des impacts concrets sur la vie de toutes les femmes. Le 11 avril, entre 13h30 et 15h30, prenez quelques minutes pour venir réagir, témoigner, exprimer votre opinion sur le sujet lors d’un débat public à l’extérieur de la station de métro Frontenac! Ce débat sera animé sous la forme d’un dispositif ”Porteur de paroles”, une action collective visant à stimuler les discussions autour d’enjeux socio-politiques. Vos paroles seront ensuite affichées quelques heures dans l’espace public en vue de nourrir le débat. Rallions-nous pour que toutes les femmes puissent circuler librement, à toute heure et en tout lieu, sans violence! 
This post is also available in: French
Workshop – “Stand Up, Speak Out: Street Harassment and the role of bystanders” / Atelier – “Lève-toi, exprime-toi: le harcèlement dans la rue et le rôle des témoins”
Come take part in International Anti-Street Harassment week with us! We’re hosting a free, bilingual workshop on bystander intervention and we’d love to see you there.
When: Thursday, April 11th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.
Where: Simone de Beauvoir Institute (2170 Bishop)
This post is also available in: French
In the wake of the Steubenville verdict *trigger warning – sexual assault*
The mainstream media has shamefully perpetuated rape culture and victim blaming in their coverage of the Steubenville verdict. Feminist fury!!! However, we like what these authors have to say in the links provided below.
Excellent article responding to the recent Steubenville verdict from Mia McKenzie of Black Girl Dangerous: http://blackgirldangerous.org/new-blog/2013/3/17/1g5wckiks8gpa0iahe4zc46go4awsu
…and one listing ways to educate men not to rape from Zerlina Maxwell of Ebony: http://www.ebony.com/news-views/5-ways-we-can-teach-men-not-to-rape-456/2#axzz2NvWjM7Ao
Image via Ms. Foundation for Women (https://www.facebook.com/MsFoundationforWomen)
This post is also available in: French
