Our Streets Now and Plan International launched their campaign against street harassment, #CrimeNotCompliment – presenting worrying numbers from a survey on women’s harassment and gender safety. Please be warned that this post might contain triggering material, so please consider this before continuing reading this post and accessing the campaign’s website.
TInnGO’s and other organisations’ work identifies safety as a major issue for women and other groups’ equal access to public transportation, including active transportation (i.e. micro mobility possibilities, such as bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.). The survey results, accompanied by first-hand reports from a variety of women and girls of different backgrounds, shows how gender equality is needed on many fronts, including public transportation, commuting and perception of safety. Empowering measures are indispensable for such an agenda, but the organisations are also advocating for harassment to be made illegal and subject to criminalisation. Such a push is highly influenced by the pandemic’s intensification of gender inequalities, a discussion TInnGO has made previously in the hub.
From catcalling, sexualisation of schoolgirls in uniform, public transportation stalking, unwanted attention and being stopped whilst commuting are a few of the many forms of harassment highlighted by the campaign. It also included tactics girls and women use to avoid street harassment, such as crossing the street, pretending to be on the phone and even avoiding going out at night. As Plan UK states, such relentless harassment has detrimental effects on girls and young women, affecting their mental health negatively, restricting their freedom and affecting their opportunities and self-esteem, amongst other effects. You can read more about the survey results, discussion and more detailed stories from different girls and women around the UK here:
https://plan-uk.org/act-for-girls/crime-not-compliment
https://plan-uk.org/act-for-girls/street-harassment
Three ways to help the campaign is by sharing it with your network and friends, talk to your member of parliament and spread the word in your community. Click here to know more about these steps and to access some strategies and guides to help the campaign.
