“Alright darlin’?” comes the coarse shout flying from an open window of a white van, hurtling past me before I can catch a glimpse of the speakers inside. The avalanche of kissing noises which follows as a lorry passes sometime later does nothing more for me, and the insistence by male friends that “it’s only a joke” or that I “should be flattered” leaves me feeling let me down by the worlds of comedy and flattery – two domains which I was sure I understood!
As the hot weather caught Leeds by surprise so late this year, it seemed to me ridiculously unfair that the only price to pay for finally caving in to the sun and airing my best summer frock for the last time, was to crumple under the weight of a cacophony of wolf whistles and lewd comments which seemed to be hitting women from every angle – somewhat ruining the October sunshine. Street harassment of this kind is experienced by women on a daily basis across the country and around the world. It is a serious issue which is all too often overlooked. The excuse that “it’s just a bit of fun!” is used by many who are quick to defend whenever one expresses the smallest desire that perhaps this particular pervert could keep his eyes and words firmly to himself. But despite the constant claims that these attacks on women’s self-belief should be regarded with some sort of hilarity, it cannot be denied that comments and actions of this kind are seriously damaging to our confidence; how many times has an unexpected shout of “sexy legs!” – or [insert crude comment here] – left you undermined and humiliated, not quite sure what to do with your arms or face for the rest of the walk into uni? Just the other day, I watched as a young woman talking to a friend on the phone was passed by a group of lads on the Otley road, all of whom took it upon themselves to make retching noises and pretend to vomit as she passed. Clearly there was some objection to the amount of make up or clothing she was (or wasn’t) wearing – but quite how this gives anyone the right to regress several decades and publicly insult someone in this way I still fail to see.
So despite growing awareness about street harassment, the high student population in Leeds makes the statistics more poignant: NUS claims that 68% of female students have experienced harassment in or around their institution, with behavioursuch as groping, flashing and unwanted sexual comments becoming almost ‘everyday’ occurrences for some. ‘Stop Street Harassment’ alleges that up to 80% of women experience street harassment globally, and other sites state that up to 100% suffer at some point in their lives.
In 2005, New York website ‘Hollaback!’launched as a means for women to express their anger and frustration at the troublingly regular verbal and physical abuse they experience on the streets. The site offers advice for victims of street harassment, as well as places to share stories of personal experience. Since its launch 6 years ago, ‘Hollaback!’ has expanded globally, with the site now boasting to be “in 37 cities and 15 countries, with leaders speaking more than eight different languages.” Last October, ‘Hollaback!’ released a smart-phone app, allowing users to log the details of any pestering they experience and providing a support network for that vulnerable feeling which so often ensues. West Yorkshire’s very own branch of the sitelaunched in August this year, and already features refreshingly honest stories of personal experience around Leeds. As I searched for more on the somewhat taboo issue of gender-based street harassment, the message to speak out and encourage a change in attitude towards this humiliation seemed to jump out more and more from the screen. The website ‘Stop Street Harassment’ offers advice and support, as well as empowering stories about how to creatively deal with the issue. Discovering these sites is a reassurance for anyone affected even in the smallest way by any type of harassment. The understanding that other people feel the same way, together with the many opportunities to get involved, give a welcoming sense of that long forgotten concept ‘the sisterhood’; not some scary division of man-hating feminism, just women who know when something’s out of order, and are willing to say no to the odd creep who feels the need to openly undermine them.
So now is the time to take back our bodies. To reassert that our bums, legs and boobs are ours and no one else’s, be it the builder who wolf whistled at you on the way to work, or the business man who grabbed you on the crowded bus this morning. The attitude that women’s bodies are public property can change, and this is just the start.
Local Resources
Bradford Rape Crisis Helpline:01274 308270
Leeds Women’s Counselling and Therapy service: 0113 245 5725 .
DomesticViolence – Help, Advice and the Law Team (HALT): http://www.halt.org.uk
Matrix (West Yorkshire information for sexual abuse survivors):http://www.matrix-west-yorkshire.info.
The Star Project – (Surviving Trauma After Rape)a free support service for females and males aged 14 and over who have been raped or sexually assaulted. STAR offer counselling, emotional and practical support throughout West Yorkshire, helpline: 01924 298954