Street Harassment – a new term to describe the leering, oggling, arm grabs, pssssts, eh shawtys. The ‘c’mere guhl, turn around, and (a favorite) “why aren’t you smiling”.  These are some of the random and (often) uninvited perverted pylons that delay a woman walking from point A to B.

All of the above have been hurled at virtually every woman I know and every woman she knows. With a lingering, slimy stare down being zero and physical grabbing bring a 10, I personally have run the ranks.

The worst was when my shirt was literally ripped off my body on a busy street by a gaggle of horny, drunken men. Let me repeat. strange men I don’t know put their leathery, filthy hands all over my bare skin, grabbing my breasts, my arms, my neck so forcefully that they tore off my clothes. I was 19.

“There is no such thing as an innocent bystander when it comes to the abuse of a woman. If you know of it or see it, you have an absolute obligation to try and stop it.”  - Vice President Joe Biden

My experience was over 10 years ago and street harassment now has a fancy name, laws are being written and women’s groups are rallying in order to stop the perverse attacks. www.ihollaback.org is a great one. search Street Harassment on YouTube and everything from pranks to intense testimonials come up. Tina Fey share’s her testimony in her latest book BossyPants. When she asked the question, “when did you realize you were becoming a woman” the answers floored her.

Almost everyone first realized they were becoming a grown woman when some dude did something nasty to them. “I
was walking home from ballet and a guy in a car yelled, ‘Lick me!’” “I was babysitting my younger cousins when a guy drove by and yelled, ‘Nice ass.’”

Recently the White House began a new initiative discussing the harassment of women and the ripple effect that is created when society maintains a complacent attitude regarding violence against women. It is not O.K. Growing up, I thought this was normal, acceptable behavior. Boys being boys. This might be a phase for some (a neanderthal phase) when it crosses the line, the affects on young women last a lifetime.

1 in 5 young women will be the victim of a sexual assault while they are in college.

1 in 9 teen girls will be forced to have sex.

1 in 10 teens will be hurt on purpose by someone they are dating.

One is too many. I honestly think that it’s more because these are the stats based on who is talking about it.

Those of us who have ‘lived to tell’ need to speak up and out for our little sisters so they don’t grow up feeling helpless when someone projects their crap on them. When it happens to you, say something and set the standard. A contained smile and ‘is that neccesary’ often shut them up. If you have a testimony, share it below. If you see something, say something and be active, be vocal, be a part of the solution.

Stop Street Harassment – a global initiative

Clutch Magazine Article on Street Harassment

The Good Men Project – article