While gender-based street/public harassment occurs year round, it can ramp up in the spring. And hey look, it's spring ...
As some feministing community members may know, but most may not, I maintain an anti-street harassment website with strategies and resources for dealing with/fighting street harassment, and a companion blog with stories from contributors and my commentary on street harassment-related news. Recent stories you may have missed elsewhere but I covered on the blog include Anti-Harassment Day in Egypt (April 18), the one-year report on Boston's anti-sexual harassment subway campaign , the murder of a woman runner in Vancouver , sexual harassment on the New Delhi metro , and a subway harasser in NY who was recently arrested.
Having personally cowered in the face of harassers for years without knowing where to turn or realizing how widespread the problem is, I hope the website & blog can help you if you're feeling frustrated/angry/helpless/scared because of street harassment. I hope you can realize you're not alone in facing this problem, gain strength from reading the stories of others/sharing your story, learn new strategies for dealing with harassers, and gain resources and ideas for becoming an activist on this issue in your community.
Ultimately, street harassment won't end until the harassers stop, but I hope raising awareness around the issue - especially through our stories - can help us reach that point.
And while I'm already doing a post on this, male allies, this is for you .
(and </shameless self-promotion>)
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I don't think I 'cower' when faced with street harassment so much as I'm just caught so off-guard that I can't form a response until the person has passed. Which pisses me the fuck off. So I think I'll definitely be checking out your website because, sure enough, the first warm day I got at least 3 'compliments' on my appearance, and each time my tongue was always a little too slow.
Thanks for sharing. While gender-based/street harassment is something that those who harass are responsible for stopping and which is never something a woman "provokes," I know that I often feel powerless in the face of street harassment. I appreciate that you have compiled strategies and resources that women can use to combat harassment, while also providing a resource for men to go to to figure out how they can use their privilege to end street harassment.
EGhea, right it's easy to be caught off guard, especially when the harassment happens so quickly and as you say, they're often gone before we can say something.
I'm always looking for new ways to respond to harassers in various circumstances, so please, anyone who has suggestions post or send them!