Hannah Reilly

Initiatives Aimed at Curbing Gender-Based Street Harassment

Hannah Reilly Women in Cities International 1 August 2019

1

I. What is street harassment?

Individuals or organizations struggle to agree on a standard definition of gender-based street harassment. Whereas some definitions provide a detailed set of qualifiers such as comments or gestures which classify an action as street harassment, other definitions focus on the effects of actions on the targeted individuals.

Stop Street Harassment, a nonprofit organization focused on ending gender-based street harassment, has developed a particularly comprehensive and specific definition: “Gender-based street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent and is directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.” The definition continues to provide examples of certain inappropriate actions: “Street harassment includes unwanted whistling, leering, sexist, homophobit or transphobic slurs, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or destination after they’ve said no, sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, public masturabtion, groping, sexual assault, and rape” (“What Is Street Harassment?”). Stop Street Harassment’s definition is explicit in characterizing street harassment as unwanted and non-consensual, while also portraying the many varied forms street harassment can take, from whistles on the street to sexual assault and rape.

This report reviews anti-street harassment initiatives and, although it focuses on gender-based street harassment, it is important to note that people can be harassed for other reasons, including their race or sexuality, for example. Though men can suffer from harassment, statistically women experience it more often and are generally more severely affected due to

2

their greater vulnerability (Chatterjee). In addition, street harassment can affect people of all ages, ethnicities, and in all locations around the world.

The objectification typical of street harassment results in fear, dehumanization, and a sense of powerlessness for those harassed. It is derogatory and insulting to treat another human as merely a sexual object. These aggressive words or actions can affect a person’s mobility or ability to be in public. Harassment is particularly common near or on public transportation and the fear of being harassed can unfairly limit one’s use of buses, metros, or any form of transit (Paddison). Making matters worse, inappropriate behavior is often carried out by those in positions of power or control, such as bus drivers, security guards, or police officers. Despite its dire consequences, government action to prevent or address street harassment remains uncommon around the world.

Although statistics are scarce in many countries, it is evident that the phenomenon of street harassment transcends borders. About 81% of women in the United States have experienced sexual harassment in public (Chatterjee), but only 11% of these women recalled someone intervening during an instance they were harassed (“Street Harassment ‘Relentless’”).

In Canada, 63% of women report feeling distracted at work or school because of harassment and in Europe, 81.5% of women report experiencing harassment before the age of 17 (“Cornell International Survey on Street Harassment”). In Latin America, women face similar challenges: In Brazil, 86% of women have endured public harassment or violence and 84% of women report being sexually harassed by the police (Senthilingam). Around the world, street harassment is normalized and unaddressed, leading to an ongoing cycle that dehumanizes and restricts women’s rights.

3

The stigma accompanying sexual harassment worldwide deters many women from confronting, reporting, or even speaking about their experiences. Some experts believe that sexual harassment is “thriving on the silence of women” (Chatterjee). When women do report their experiences, lax laws and unenforced policies provide them little protection.

II. History of Anti-Street Harassment Initiatives Though street harassment has impacted womens’ lives for centuries, collective action initiatives focused on either prevention or penalties are a fairly recent phenomenon. It was only around the 1970s when researchers first began to name and study street harassment (Siegel).

Decades later, in Chicago in 2003, a group of girls and young women (aged 14-18), dubbed the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team (YWAT), united in defiance of street harassment to create an activist force (“Stress and Young Women”). The girls and women had attended a teen forum by the Friends of Battered Women and their Children, an organization which provides support to victims of domestic violence. At the event, they noticed that the young women participants spoke overwhelmingly about the prevalence of street harassment in their community, and how it often made them feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods (Roberson). Some of the girls decided to take action against the threat of street harassment.

4

With a grant from the Girl’s Best Friend Foundation, YWAT began researching harassment in the Rogers Park area. After months of interviewing the locals of Rogers Park, the YWAT produced a report entitled “Hey Cutie, Can I Get Your Digits?” which was published in newspapers all over Chicago (Roberson) and marked the beginning of a series of grassroots campaigns to raise awareness about the harassment women face everyday.

The success of the campaign and attention brought to street harassment by the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team inspired dozens of other local movements in communities across the world. It demonstrated the capability of young adults when faced with injustice and the power of grassroots activism. In the subsequent years, more initiatives across the world were launched, particularly in the early aughts. Developed by women, these initiatives shared the common goal of influencing social attitudes to reduce tolerance of harassment and, with developments in technology, initiatives have become much more personalized, effective, and accessible. Activists believe that street harassment should not be the norm, but should instead be rare, discouraged, and punishable offense.

III. Case Studies of Anti-Harassment Initiatives Research for this report involved a review of thirteen anti-street harassment initiatives (see Table 2 for full list). These projects varied greatly in their reporting sources, analysis, and users. Below is a comparative table which highlights key characteristics of six diverse projects, followed by a case study summary of four different types of initiatives.

Table 1 Name

Location, Year Founded

Type of Organization

Method of Reporting

Analysis

How the information is used

5

HarassMap

Cairo, 2010

Nonprofit

SMS text

Analyzes the results to identify which neighborhood s have the highest incidence.

HarassMap uses these results to deploy volunteers in specific areas for education campaigns.

Safecity

India, 2012

Nonprofit

App or Website

Analyzes information to understand location-base d trends of street harassment.

Police are occasionally able to respond to reports on the map and adjust their presence and lighting accordingly.

Vive Segura

Mexico City, 2016

Government

App

Information submitted is intended for response by government officials.

Government officials are meant to respond to reports but there is little evidence of follow-up.

NYC RightRides for Women’s Safety

New York, City, 2004

Government

Phone Call/ SMS

Users can report feeling unsafe to volunteers who can give them free, safe rides home to prevent any dangerous situation.

No follow-up beyond support from volunteer escorts.

The Metropolitan Action Committee

Toronto, 1984

Nonprofit

Survey

METRAC partnered with Hollaback! to

The results ultimately led METRAC to create an app

6

on Violence Against Women and Children

Hollaback!

New York City, 2005

Nonprofit

HarassMap HarassMap was founded in 2010 in Cairo, Egypt where street harassment is

App

analyze the results.

that helps raise awareness about sexual harassment and the challenges women face in metropolitan areas. It also provides women with information and support systems.

Hollaback! partnered with Cornell University to create a research survey on street harassment. It became the largest analysis of street harassment and included data from 16,600 respondents.

Hollaback! used the findings from the app and their study to convince the New York City’s Metropolitan Transportatio n Authority to display anti-groping signs in the subways.

7

widespread: nearly half of women (49.2%) report being harassed on a daily basis (Young).

HarassMap was designed as a safe mechanism for individuals to report sexual harassment in a country where women are often afraid to report abuse to police, because law enforcement officials are among the worst harassers (Young).

HarassMap aims to raise awareness by positively highlighting individuals who take action when sexual harassment happens, HarassMap’s long-term goal is for reports to deter harassers from continuing their behavior. The non-profit organization has received funding from various sources, particularly from donors and fundraising campaigns and has received awards including the Cairo University Recognition Award (“Awards�). As of July 2019, Harassmap continues to be active, relying on the work of more than 1000 volunteers (Young).

HarassMap uses an SMS-based system to gather its data. Individuals who experience sexual harassment send an SMS and include the location of the incident, a description of the interaction, and any other details they deem relevant. Reports can also be made through a form on their website. Additionally, users can also report reactions, such as instances when people confronted harassers or took action when witnessing public harassment. HarassMap ensures anonymity to its sources. The reports are then added to a map which is publicly accessible on its website. Users desiring more information can sign up to receive updates on the reports they have submitted, mostly consisting of messages of support or comments responding to their experiences.

HarassMap analyzes the reports they receive in order to understand and track street harassment. By identifying the neighborhoods where harassment is most prevalent, Harassmap is able to develop a targeted strategy for its activities. Once per month, volunteers visit areas with

8

high rates of harassment and conduct education campaigns in schools and communities.

According to HarassMap, community-level dialogue is a valuable investment for learning and engagement. HarassMap’s volunteers estimate that about 80% of people they speak to verbally agree to speak out against harassers in the future (Lee et al.).

HarassMap’s work has contributed to combat Egyptian norms of street harassment. Their reporting system has provided an outlet for women to share their stories and find a community free from stigma which can relate to their experiences. Their educational initiatives have challenged the stereotypes held by many Egyptians and produced thought-provoking conversations to begin an open dialogue on street harassment. Furthermore, this effort has inspired other countries to begin their own initiatives and challenge other countries’ perceptions on the value of women in society.

Although HarassMap has made significant headway in the fight against street harassment, it is important to note some challenges. HarassMap has advocated for stronger anti-harassment laws which would carry a hefty penalty. According to recent reports, however, police in Egypt have used new anti-harassment laws as an excuse to round up and torture boys on the streets (Farid). Opponents of these new laws have argued that criminalization is not the most effective way to deal with harassment. Instead of punitive approaches, some experts suggest educational initiatives and community responses to change the accepted norms in Egypt.

Another challenge faced by HarassMap is the inability to verify its reports (Young).

HarassMap does not have the funds, volunteers, or resources, to establish the veracity of each report. In addition, some experts have indicated that areas showing little harassment on the map could be the areas where the worst forms of harassment occur but are underreported due to

9

higher levels of stigma and intimidation. Furthermore, the map does not take into account areas where there may be limited access to technology or lower levels of awareness regarding HarassMap.

Safecity Founded in India in 2012, ​Safecity​’s mission is to make public spaces safer for everyone through the use of crowdsourced maps and newly developed technology, similarly to HarassMap. Safecity’s founder, Elsa D’Silva, was inspired to create the online service after the brutal attack on 23-year old Jyoti Singh Pandey in Delhi in 2012.

Pandey’s case shocked India; she was gang-raped, beaten, and left for dead by a group of six men on a bus after returning from the movies with a friend. She died from her extensive injuries days later but spurred a movement from women tired of the pervasive nature of sexual harassment and assault in India.

Every 20 minutes, a rape occurs in India (“About Safecity”) yet the stigma surrounding sexual assault impedes legal action in many cases. Safecity publishes incidents of sexual harassment in an effort to combat this stigma and encourage research on effective solutions at the neighborhood level. Safecity lists three goals on their website: creating awareness about street harassment, analyzing location-based trends, and making accurate information available to the public (“About Safecity”).

Safecity is run by the nonprofit organization Red Dot Foundation and relies on the work of volunteers and support from donors. They often run fundraising campaigns to develop their

10

projects. Safecity reports that about 500,000 individuals have used their website (Mogul). In addition, Safecity has expanded their services beyond India to also include Cameroon, Nepal, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, and Kenya (Ward).

Safecity uses an app for data collection. Users fill out an incident report on the app and upload it to a map

of

the

world

(Vardaan).

According to their app summary, Safecity has collected over 10,000 stories. Similarly to HarassMap, users can also submit reports through the website. Additionally, users can send a report to Safecity’s email address or tweet a report with the hashtag #SafecityIndia. The app and website allow users to choose a category under which to classify their incident. These categories are variable, ranging from poor lighting to indecent exposure and sexual assault. Users select the location of the incident on a map and describe it in great detail before submitting.

Like HarassMap, Safecity uses these reports to produce a crowdsourced map of the most problematic areas for street harassment. They have been able to spot location-based trends and identify possible solutions for high-problem areas. Safecity has collaborated with local police to provide them this information, to promote the installation of additional lighting and deployment of patrols in some of the most high-risk areas.

About six years ago, Safecity found that public bathrooms in the Sanjay camp, a slum of Delhi, had received numerous reports of harassment. Doors were missing on the toilets and men would often hang around the area to leer or even videotape women using the toilet. However,

11

using these public restrooms were many women’s only option to use the toilet. To avoid this situation, many women in the area would drink as little water as possible and use the toilets late at night, when they hoped they would not be spotted. These adaptations posed a threat to women’s health and well-being. Armed with these findings, Safecity worked with local residents to pressure authorities to fix the toilets. Safecity also worked with local men and boys to educate them on the harm they were causing. Incidents of sexual assaults in the areas have since greatly decreased (Young-Powell).

Recently, Kenyan activist Jane Anyango used Safecity to identify a troubling trend in the reports in Kibera, a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. She discovered a high-incidence of Safecity reports near schools. Using this information, she was able to confirm the rumors of the abuse and exploitation of girls by their male teachers. She collaborated with authorities and the education department to provide training for students on how to identify sexual violence and the best strategies to respond to it. Anyango now works with the United Nations and has conducted similar programs in 45 of Kibera’s schools (Weiser).

Safecity has demonstrated ways in which organizations can make tangible progress towards making cities safer for women. Their collaboration with local law enforcement has helped deepen the impact and make it more sustainable.

Vive Segura Founded in 2016 in Mexico City, ​Vive Segura is both managed and funded by the Mexico City government (Domínguez). Mexico City has a population of almost nine million

12

people, reportedly two-thirds of women in Mexico have experienced gender-based violence (Cullmann). Vive Segura is a platform where women can report situations of assault or sexual violence in public places, including on public transportation. The local government guarantees that the report will be anonymous. Users can report harassment through the Vive Segura app or website. Information gathered is meant to be analyzed by government officials to provide a better idea of which city areas are most affected by sexual violence.

The service comes with at least one serious downside: trust in government is so low that the app has only 4,037 users (out of the nine million people in the city.) The director for the Institute for Women in Mexico City stated that the goal of Vive Segura is to become as useful and widely-used as Waze, the popular navigation app (Zamarrón). However, she acknowledged the need for some technical improvements to the app.

Although local government officials are supposed to follow-up on complaints in a timely manner, many people have reported delays and inaction by law enforcement. In 2018, officials claimed that the local government responded to 113 reports of people experiencing sexual violence (“Orientan a Mujeres Para Denunciar Violencia Sexual en CDMX”). A year prior, in 2017, the app received 153 reports of sexual violence, of which they responded to 26, claiming that they failed to contact users in all the other cases (Zamarrón).

13

The Vive Segura model allows users to virtually report incidents, which should subsequently be addressed by government. Unfortunately, however, in practice the app is far less useful than promised. Lack of follow-up has discouraged women from using the app. Without a critical mass of users, the Mexico City government will not have access to accurate, crowdsourced information about specific high-problem areas, which will in turn limit effective protection of women and girls.

Hollaback!

Founded in 2005 in New York City, Hollaback! ​is a nonprofit organization that relies mainly on the support of donors.

Under the leadership of founder Emily May, Hollaback! has expanded to cities in 25 countries.

Hollaback! initially consisted of only a website where users could gather information about street harassment. It aimed to raise awareness, create a dialogue about the issue, and brainstorm strategies. It specifically focuses on helping women and LGBTQ+ individuals feel safer in cities, such that they could reach their full potential (“About:Hollaback!�).

Hollaback! also began to offer trainings and workshops to help young adults gain skills to conduct community outreach, understand intersectionality, and practice volunteerism, among other activities. These trainings lasted six months and culminated in the participant becoming a member of the Hollaback! Site Leader Network. In addition, Hollaback! has presented in educational institutions, conducted workshops for students, trained law enforcement in some cities, and joined international business conferences. These activities allow them to accomplish

14

their mission of training citizens who, as bystanders, can intervene and diffuse a dangerous or uncomfortable situation (“About: Hollaback”).

Hollaback!’s partnerships have further allowed the organization to spread their anti-harassment message. In 2015, Hollaback! partnered with clothing retailer ModCloth to create a video to dispel misconceptions that women enjoy being catcalled, or even dress to be catcalled (“Help Us and Our New Partners at ModCloth”). In 2008, Hollaback! partnered with New Yorkers for Safe Transit to convince the New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display anti-groping signs in the subways. Furthermore, in 2014, Hollaback! partnered with Cornell University to create a research survey on street harassment. The survey was conducted in two parts, Part I was focused on the United States and Part II used data from 42 cities from around the world. The survey was the largest analysis of street harassment at the time and included data from over 16,600 respondents.

The survey experience inspired Hollaback!’s team to develop a streamlined reporting mechanism, for which they received $20,000 in funding from New York City (Ohikuare). Hollaback! has since created an app that allows users to post their experiences with harassment and upload a photo of their harasser, if they are able to safely take one (Stoeffel). The instances are mapped with balloons that represent clusters where street harassment is frequent. The public nature of the app allows women to take action and take control of the situation when they feel powerless; ideally the threat of public embarrassment will discourage any further

15

harassment. Additionally, users submitting a report enter the location where it happened and demographic information. This information is then available to both Hollaback!, the user’s district database, and Councilstat (Ohikuare). Councilstat is a technology run by the New York City Council that consists of a data platform that enables the city council to analyze and compare constituent issues across different districts. The overall goal of Councilstat is to improve the Council’s response to the needs of the community and facilitate the process of developing a legislative agenda and priorities. In short, this technology brings the needs of the people to the attention of their representatives (“Constituent Services Data”).

Hollaback! turns the tables on harassers by putting the spotlight on them, not on the women they harass. They also engage in a wide range of citizen engagement activities, including trainings, informational sessions, and education on the issues that women face in cities.

Furthermore, their frequent collaborations with other organizations have allowed them to expand their influence beyond the scope of New York City and serve and address the issues of communities far and wide.

VI. Looking Across Initiatives Each of the thirteen initiatives researched for this paper represents an attempt to modify harmful societal norms in their local communities. Most began as grassroots campaigns and many of them expanded to spread the message of anti-harassment to cities or countries far from their own. Although each initiative changed the lives of women and girls in distinct ways, there still remain key challenges which have prevented them from accomplishing lasting societal change.

16

Anti-street harassment crowdsourcing initiatives rely heavily on the use of technology to accomplish their objectives of data collection, pattern identification, and spreading awareness.

However, many of these initiatives are based in developing countries where access to technology may be limited in some neighborhoods. For instance, in India, where Safecity operates, an estimated 156 million households lack access to internet and electricity. The absence of these amenities impedes the use of anti-street harassment services and, in many cases, even the knowledge of their existence. However, the alternative, establishing a system that does not rely on the unifying force of technology would be inefficient, financially unrealistic, and would fail to expand its services to multiple neighborhoods or cities.

In addition to excluding women in certain areas from accessing information , the reliance on technology may result in inaccurate information. Areas with limited internet access are often also the same communities that suffer from greater insecurity. Without access to the internet, these marginalized areas may be underrepresented in crowdsourced mapping projects and excluded from anti-harassment response efforts.

In some cases, limited public awareness has impeded success. Vive Segura, for example, was designed as a reporting mechanism for Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world.

To date however, it only has a few thousand users. Currently, many of these applications are only well-known to small, niche groups who specifically search for services to prevent street harassment. Campaigns to raise awareness about the campaigns and related services, including training sessions and reporting mechanisms, would increase the use of the applications and therefore decrease incidents of harassment.

17

Many of the improvements needed by these organizations, however, are unrealistic due to limited funding. Sustainable awareness campaigns and educational services require full-time employees, which can be a costly expense for organizations to bear. Volunteers are helpful assets but also burdened by other responsibilities and unable to dedicate the time needed. In addition, tasks such as developing an app or website can be an expensive investment for nonprofit organizations. Currently, many of these organizations have received short-term grants or rely on the generosity of individual donors. In these cases,, collaboration with their local or national government could be immensely beneficial to the organization and its mission.

Engagement with police or government could also increase prospects for meaningful and lasting change. As mentioned previously, Safecity discovered the lack of bathroom doors in an Indian neighborhood. It collaborated with local authorities to bring tangible change which improved the lives of women and girls in that community. Investing in similar collaborations and strong relationships with their local authorities could lead to similar, concrete reforms such as changes in police patrolling, new public transport policies or enhanced lighting.

Some organizations, however, distrust authorities out of concern that street harassment might be criminalized. and see the criminalization of street harassment as a risk. This is the case with Hollaback!, for example, which views “criminal law and punishment (as) disproportionately applied to people of color, low-income individuals, and trans and gender-nonconforming people” (“Frequently Asked Questions”). Hollaback! avoids working with local police given its fear that an official response to street harassment would worsen the deep-rooted inequities in the American criminal justice system.

18

VII. Conclusion Women’s lives have been affected by street harassment for centuries. Over the last fifteen years, however, there has been remarkable progress and attitudes are beginning to change. Since the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team began collecting information in 2003, there is greater understanding of the phenomenon and its impact. Other initiatives have emerged around the world to shift societal norms and reduce tolerance of harassment. Developments in technology have allowed these initiatives to become more personalized, immediate, and accessible.

Organizations such as Hollaback!, Safecity, HarassMap, and Vive Segura demonstrate the diversity of reporting initiatives. Initiatives differ from one another in regards to their reporting mechanism, follow-up, funding sources, and data analysis. Success depends on many factors, including effective private and public partnerships and users’ trust in the initiative and their access to technology.

In spite of their rapid spread, anti-street harassment initiatives continue to be ad hoc and under-researched. Rigorous evaluations are needed to determine the effectiveness of their operations. Organizations need evidence and data for a better understanding of what works and under what conditions, such that the projects can be adapted and expanded for maximum impact.

19

VIII. Annex Below is the full list of anti-street harassment initiatives and relevant information on each initiative.

Table 2 Name

Where

Type of org that manages it

Funding sources

How is Info Reported?

How many people have reported?

How is info analyzed?

By whom?

Is there any follow-up with people who report?

Any connection to service providers?

Other type of follow-up?

Any evidence of city/police engagement or use? (including links to reports)

Any evaluations or evidence of use or results? (including links to studies/media reports)

HarassMap

Cairo, Egypt

Nonprofit

Many awards and grants.

Volunteer - run

SMS-based system.

Victim texts a phone number a description of instances that occurred.

They receive an automated response and the incident is added to a map.

HarassMap analyzes the results to understand the magnitude of the problem of street harassment and identify the biggest problem areas to address with their anti-street harassment campaigns.

There is no follow-up but this information allows HarassMap to understand where to target their anti-harassme nt campaigns.

Once per month, volunteers visit areas with high rates of harassment and conduct education campaigns in schools and communities

Yes, but police in Eygpt are reportedly using new anti-harassment laws as an exucuse to round up and torture boys on the streets.

The volunteers which visit areas with high rates of harassment speak with inhabitants of the neighborhood and initiate a conversation about the problems surrounding harassment.

They estimate that about 8/10 people they speak to verbally agree to speak out against harassers.

Safecity

India

Nonprofit: Red Dot Foundatio n

Run fundraisin g campaigns .

Volunteer - run

Through App or Website to Map

Safecity analyzes this information to understand locationbased

There is occasionally follow-up from authorities.

Police have been able to use these reports to take action and have installed additional lighting and adjusted their shifts

20

trends on street harassment.

Doing so identifies problem areas and possible solutions to make women more safe in these areas.

Occasionall y police are able to respond to these suggestions .

Vive Segura

Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team

Mexico City

Chicag o, IL, USA

Gov

Nonprofit/ Youth Group

Gov

Volunteer -based

App submits report, government / officials follow up

The organization conducted interviews across Chicago to better

The information is meant to be analyzed by government officials..

The information was analyzed by volunteers who used

in high-problem areas.

Government officials and police are supposed to respond to complaints and incident reports in a timely manner.

However, many people have reported that they have lagged behind on contacting victims of street harassment

The app is supposed to include a follow up by authorities after a report is submitted.

However, many women complained that their reports were never responded to.

There is no follow-up.

There is no evidence of police engagement or intervention.

The app is only used by 4,037 people. This number is far lower than the goal, considering that the population of Mexico City is over 8 million.

Police have interfered in some situations, however.

Many harassers have received fines for their actions.

The app is working but requires better management to spread across Mexico.

The results inspired YWAT to host a Day of Action Against Street harassment for two years. This

21

understand the challenges that women and girls face in the city. They hoped to investigate, “how much street harassment actually happens in Rogers Park”

the data to identify areas where street harassment is common, ways women attempt to avoid or escape street harassment, whether they confronted the harassers, and how harassment made them feel.

activity was meant to engage the community in a conversation about harassment and unite a historically polarized / segregated society. In addition, the activity was meant to build a coalition of allies committed to end street harassment and demand community accountability for the ultimate purpose of eradicating street harassment.

NYC RightRides for Women’s Safety

New York, New York, USA

Governme nt

Volunteer -based, receives support from governme nt.

Sponsored

by Zipcar

Users are able to call or text a number and they will be provided with a volunteer who can give them a free, safe ride home to prevent any dangerous situations.

Information is not analyzed.

There is no follow-up.

No police engagement.

6000 targeted people have received safe rides home through this service.

The Metropoilta n Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC)

Toronto , Ontario , Canada

Nonprofit

Volunteer -based

METRAC created a survey that was distributed through a partnership with Hollaback!.

The survey was available

The information collected in the survey was analyzed by METRAC in partnership with Hollaback!.

There is no follow up for this report.

No evidence of police engagement.

Results were compiled in a report: http://www.metr ac.org/wp-conten t/uploads/wooco mmerce_uploads /2014/07/researc h.summary.sexu al.harassment.sur vey.feb11.pdf

22

online in 2010-2011 and asked users about their experiences with harassment.

The goal of the survey was to use the results to help METRAC create an app that would help raise awareness about sexual harassment and the challenges that women face in metropolitan areas. In addition, it would provide women with information and support systems.

Everyday Sexism Project

United Kingdo m

Nonprofit

Run by founder as a volunteer

ESP allows users to submit their experiences with sexism or street harassment in order to prove that women CAN complain that they are not equal. It serves as a platform and safe-space for like-minded people to

The survey led to an app called “Not Your Baby� which allows users to input their experience with sexual harassment. The app will then generate a response to the situation based on the information inputted by one or more users.

The app was released in 2012 but seems currently inactive.

The information is not analyzed.

There is no follow-up on this report.

No evidence of police engagement.

No evidence of use of results.

23

share experiences comfortably.

Women should not be accused of “overreactin g” in response to street harassment and other forms of sexism Collective Action for Safe Spaces

Safe Streets Foundation

Washin gton, DC, USA

Yemen

Nonprofit

Nonprofit

Communi ty-based

Volunteer -based

The CASS website allows users to post their experiences with street harassment.

They’re encouraged to ask questions about how to properly deal with harassment in a variety of situations.

The information is not analyzed.

SSF launched the first electronic map to monitor cases of sexual harassment

This information was provided to lawmakers.

This information is responded to

by CASS who is able to provide informed, correct responses about the dos and don’ts of each situation.

No evidence of police intervention.

The organization used the public sentiment against street harassment to pass the Street Harassment Prevention Act, which creates a legal definition of street harassment (the first in the United States)/ In addition, it establishes a committee to advise on policies and training to combat street harassment. It also enables grant money to be used to raise awareness of street harassment.

Although there are no exact examples of police intervention, the description of the map explains that it is meant to help police be more aware of the streets

SSF organized a conference against street harassment, the first of its kind in Yemen. The Minister of Legal Affairs participated.

CASS also provides training and information to bystanders so they can properly intervene.

No evidence of follow-up.

24

in Yemen.

This data was used to monitor cases of harassment and encourage the community and women to break the silence and create a dialogue about harassment.

This public sentiment is meant to encourage the community to pressure lawmakers to enact the criminalizati on of street harassment.

where harassment cases are high and therefore allow them to better monitor these areas.

SSF organized a safe streets campaign to fight sexual harassment. The organization claimed that 98.9% of women in Yemen suffer from street harassment. The campaign includes activities such as an art exhibition, a short film, a book, and blog.

Geographie s of Violence

New Delhi, India

Nonprofit

Volunteer -run

Geographies of Violence created a crowdmappi ng experiment to expose the culture of sexual violence in India. Users can report an instance of harassment and use the map to navigate unsafe spaces with more awareness.

The information was not analyzed.

No evidence of follow-up.

No evidence of police intervention.

No evidence of results used.

Bijoya

Bijoya,

Nonprofit

Volunteer

The

The

No evidence

No evidence of

No evidence of

25

Crowdsour ce Map

Bangla desh

-run, no funding

information is reported

by SMS and added to a map that can be accessed online.

Report details, time, date, areas are also available.

information is not analyzed, just publicly available.

of follow-up.

police intervention.

results used.

Hollaback partnered with Cornell University to create a research survey on street harassment.

The survey was conducted in two parts, Part I was focused on the United States and Part II used data from 42 cities around the world. The survey was the largest analysis of

No evidence of follow-up.

No evidence of police intervention.

Hollaback! collaborated with New Yorkers for Safe Transit to convince the New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display anti groping signs in the subways.

Created by a group in Bangladesh to increase awareness about harassment and to ensure that culprit don’t go unnoticed by the world.

Hollaback!

New York City, New York

Nonprofit

Hollaback ! is sponsored by donors.

Hollaback! has created an app that allows users to post their experiences with harassment and upload a photo of their harasser.

The instances are then mapped and accessible to other users.

This app allows women to take action when they feel powerless.

26

street harassment and included data from 16,600 respondents .

Safetipin

Delhi, India

Nonprofit

Safetipin has received its funding from various crowdsour cing donation initiatives, as well as from certain organizati ons such as UK Aid.

The founders of Safetipin, Kalpana Viswanath and Ashish Basu created three apps.

The first was “My SafetiPin” which functions at a city level.

The second was “SafetiPinTr ack” which aims to help women stay safe by alerting their friends and family to their location. The final app was “SafetiPin Nite” which collects data using motor vehicles to capture photographs at night.

Their apps provide a Safety Score for certain neighborhoo ds which represent how safe a person will

Safetipin publishes safety analysis reports which are based on safety audits and assess information about perceptions of urban safety in public spaces.

Safetipin recently partnered with Uber to generate safety scores around Delhi. It has also agreed to train its drivers to work in tandem with Safetipin auditors.

Mounted cameras will allow them to collect data at night.

Each of these

The Indian government is said to use this information for city planning.

Safetipin shares its data with officials.

This data is hopefully be used by police and urban planners to make Delhi safer for women. In the past, data has been used by the Delhi Police and the Public Works Department.

The information provided to the police hopefully cause them to make changes that will benefit women in India.

Eventually, they hope to increase the safety scores in cities across the world.

27

feel in that area at night.

Their website includes a city safety analysis. It breaks down different components in neighborhoo ds in a certain city such as “Feeling,” “Transport,” “Visibility,” etc.

pictures will be tagged according to neighborho od and will contribute to its safety score.

28

Works Cited “About Safecity.” ​Safecity​, Safecity, safecity.in/about/.

“About: Hollaback!” ​Hollaback!​, Hollaback!, www.ihollaback.org/about/.

“Awards.” ​HarassMap​, HarassMap, 2015, harassmap.org/en/awards.

Chatterjee, Rhitu. “A New Survey Finds 81 Percent Of Women Have Experienced Sexual Harassment.” ​NPR​, NPR, 21 Feb. 2018, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-per cent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment.

“Constituent Services Data.” ​New York City Council​, 2016, council.nyc.gov/districts/data9/.

“Cornell International Survey on Street Harassment.” ​Hollaback!​, May 2015, www.ihollaback.org/cornell-international-survey-on-street-harassment/.

Cullmann, Valentina. “Street Crime 2.0: New Apps to Help You Feel Safer in Mexico City.”

Aztec Reports​, Espacio Media, 17 Sept. 2018, aztecreports.com/street-crime-apps/1531/.

Domínguez, Mauro. “Gobierno Capitalino Lanza App Contra Violencia De Género.” ​Paréntesis​, 25 Aug. 2016, www.parentesis.com/autos/noticias/Vive_Segura_CDMX_la_app_para_atender_emergen cias_de_mujeres.

Farid, Farid Y. “The App That Wants to Make Egypt's Streets Safer for Women.” ​Quartz Africa​, Quartz, 29 June 2015, qz.com/africa/434606/the-app-that-wants-to-make-egypts-streets-safer-for-women/.

“Frequently Asked Questions.” ​Hollaback!​, www.ihollaback.org/about/faqs/.

29

“Help Us and Our New Partners at ModCloth Build a World Where You Can Dress for Yourself and Feel Safe!” ​Hollaback!​, 16 Aug. 2015, www.ihollaback.org/blog/2015/08/26/help-us-and-our-new-partners-at-modcloth-build-aworld-where-you-can-dress-for-yourself-and-feel-safe/.

Lee, Ian, and Teo Kermeliotis. “'Harassment Map' Helps Egyptian Women Stand up for Their Rights.” ​CNN​, Cable News Network, 21 Dec. 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/world/africa/harassmap-egypt-mobile-phones/index.html.

Mogul, Priyanka. “Leveraging Technology to Keep Indian Women Safe.” ​News-Decoder​, New-Decoder, 26 Dec. 2018, news-decoder.com/2018/12/26/technology-indian-women/.

Ohikuare, Judith. “An App to Help Women Avoid Street Harassment.” ​The Atlantic​, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Sept. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/an-app-to-help-women-avoid-street-ha rassment/279642/.

“Orientan a Mujeres Para Denunciar Violencia Sexual En CDMX.” ​Excélsior​, Excelsior, 20 Nov. 2018, www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/orientan-a-mujeres-para-denunciar-violencia-sexualen-cdmx/1279664.

Paddison, Laura. “Women Around The World Are Harassed And Abused On Public Transportation.” ​Huffington Post Canada​, Huffington Post Canada, 19 Oct. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/women-public-transportation-harassment_n_59e88cfee4b0 d0e4fe6d8202.

30

Roberson, Amaya N. “Anti-Street Harassment.” ​Off Our Backs​, EBSCOhost, May 2005, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=fyh&AN=17587773& site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Senthilingam, Meera. “Sexual Harassment: How It Stands around the Globe.” ​CNN​, Cable News Network, 29 Nov. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/11/25/health/sexual-harassment-violence-abuse-global-levels/index. html.

Siegel, Reva B. “A Short History of Sexual Harassment.” ​Yale Law School​, Yale Press, 2003, law.yale.edu/system/files/documents/pdf/Faculty/Siegel_IntroductionAShortHistoryOfSe xualHarrasmentLaw.pdf.

Stoeffel, Kat. “Tattle on Cat Callers With New App Hollaback.” ​The Cut​, The Cut, 20 Aug. 2013, www.thecut.com/2013/08/tattle-on-cat-callers-with-new-app-hollaback.html.

“Street Harassment 'Relentless' for Women and Girls.” ​BBC News​, BBC, 23 Oct. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45942447.

“Stress & Young Women.” ​Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team​, 2006, www.rogersparkywat.org/stress-young-women/.

Vardaan. “Safecity.in Mapping Unsafe Areas For Women In India.” ​IndianWeb2​, India Web2, 25 Oct. 2013, www.indianweb2.com/2013/10/25/safecity-mapping-unsafe-areas-women-india/.

Ward, Margaret. “The Apps Placing Information and Power in Women's Hands.” ​The Irish Times​, The Irish Times, 13 July 2019,

31

www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-apps-placing-information-and-power-in-w omen-s-hands-1.3943191.

Weiser, Sonia. “Sexual-Harassment-Reporting Apps Help Stop Abuse in Global City Streets.”

New York Magazine​, New York Magazine, 12 Oct. 2018, nymag.com/developing/2018/10/safecity-walkfreely-ushahidi-sexual-harassment-abuse-r eporting-maps.html.

“What Is Street Harassment?” ​Stop Street Harassment​, Stop Street Harassment, Mar. 2015, www.stopstreetharassment.org/about/what-is-street-harassment/.

Young, Chelsea. “HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data to Map Sexual Harassment in Egypt.”

Technology Innovation Management Review​, Talent First Network, Mar. 2014, timreview.ca/article/770.

Young-Powell, Abby. “Reclaiming the Streets: the Apps Helping Women Tackle Sexual Violence.” ​The Guardian​, Guardian News and Media, 8 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/careers/2018/mar/08/reclaiming-the-streets-the-apps-helping-wom en-tackle-sexual-violence.

Zamarrón, Israel. “Iztapalapa y Cuauhtémoc Lideran Reportes En Vive Segura.” ​Publimetro México​, 21 May 2017, www.publimetro.com.mx/mx/noticias/2017/05/21/iztapalapa-cuauhtemoc-lideran-reporte s-vive-segura.html.

32

Bibliography “About Safecity.” ​Safecity​, Safecity, safecity.in/about/.

“About.” ​Collective Action for Safe Spaces​, www.collectiveactiondc.org/.

“About: Hollaback!” ​Hollaback!​, Hollaback!, www.ihollaback.org/about/.

“Apps That Keep You Safe.” ​Safetipin​, safetipin.com/pickAPic. “Awards.” ​HarassMap​, HarassMap, 2015, harassmap.org/en/awards.

“Bijoya Crowd Map.” ​Bijoya Crowdsource Map​, bijoya.crowdmap.com/.

Chatterjee, Rhitu. “A New Survey Finds 81 Percent Of Women Have Experienced Sexual Harassment.” ​NPR​, NPR, 21 Feb. 2018, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-per cent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment.

“Constituent Services Data.” ​New York City Council​, 2016, council.nyc.gov/districts/data9/.

“Cornell International Survey on Street Harassment.” ​Hollaback!​, May 2015, www.ihollaback.org/cornell-international-survey-on-street-harassment/.

Cullmann, Valentina. “Street Crime 2.0: New Apps to Help You Feel Safer in Mexico City.”

Aztec Reports​, Espacio Media, 17 Sept. 2018, aztecreports.com/street-crime-apps/1531/.

“Delhi Safety Analysis Report.” ​Safetipin​, safetipin.com/projects/54/delhi-safety-analysis-report/.

Domínguez, Mauro. “Gobierno Capitalino Lanza App Contra Violencia De Género.” ​Paréntesis​, 25 Aug. 2016, www.parentesis.com/autos/noticias/Vive_Segura_CDMX_la_app_para_atender_emergen cias_de_mujeres.

33

“Everyday Sexism Project.” ​Everyday Sexism Project​, everydaysexism.com/.

Fahmey, Amel. “Sexual Harassment in Greater Cairo: Effectiveness of Crowdsourced Data.”

HarassMap​, HarassMap, 2014, harassmap.org/storage/app/media/uploaded-files/Towards-A-Safer-City_executive-summ ary_EN.pdf.

Farid, Farid Y. “The App That Wants to Make Egypt's Streets Safer for Women.” ​Quartz Africa​, Quartz, 29 June 2015, qz.com/africa/434606/the-app-that-wants-to-make-egypts-streets-safer-for-women/.

“Frequently Asked Questions.” ​Hollaback!​, www.ihollaback.org/about/faqs/.

“Geographies of Violence Delhi.” ​Geographies of Violence Delhi​, govdelhi.crowdmap.com/main.

Gregorich, Adrian. “The Future of HarassMap.” ​The Sentinel Project​, 30 Dec. 2016, thesentinelproject.org/2016/12/30/the-future-of-harassmap/.

“Help Us and Our New Partners at ModCloth Build a World Where You Can Dress for Yourself and Feel Safe!” ​Hollaback!​, 16 Aug. 2015, www.ihollaback.org/blog/2015/08/26/help-us-and-our-new-partners-at-modcloth-build-aworld-where-you-can-dress-for-yourself-and-feel-safe/.

“Home.” ​METRAC​, www.metrac.org/about/history/?doing_wp_cron=1561054414.140348911285400390625 0.

“Home.” ​Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team​, www.rogersparkywat.org/.

34

“In India, Women Turn to Apps to Avoid, Report Harassment.” ​Voice of America​, 15 Nov. 2018, www.voanews.com/silicon-valley-technology/india-women-turn-apps-avoid-report-haras sment.

Lee, Ian, and Teo Kermeliotis. “'Harassment Map' Helps Egyptian Women Stand up for Their Rights.” ​CNN​, Cable News Network, 21 Dec. 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/world/africa/harassmap-egypt-mobile-phones/index.html.

May, Emily. “Hollaback!, Harassmap, and Friends in MORE Magazine!” ​Hollaback!​, 13 Sept.

2011, www.ihollaback.org/blog/2011/09/13/hollaback-harassmap-and-friends-in-more-magazin e/.

Mogul, Priyanka. “Leveraging Technology to Keep Indian Women Safe.” ​News-Decoder​, New-Decoder, 26 Dec. 2018, news-decoder.com/2018/12/26/technology-indian-women/.

Ohikuare, Judith. “An App to Help Women Avoid Street Harassment.” ​The Atlantic​, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Sept. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/an-app-to-help-women-avoid-street-ha rassment/279642/.

“Orientan a Mujeres Para Denunciar Violencia Sexual En CDMX.” ​Excélsior​, Excelsior, 20 Nov. 2018, www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/orientan-a-mujeres-para-denunciar-violencia-sexualen-cdmx/1279664.

Paddison, Laura. “Women Around The World Are Harassed And Abused On Public Transportation.” ​Huffington Post Canada​, Huffington Post Canada, 19 Oct. 2017,

35

www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/women-public-transportation-harassment_n_59e88cfee4b0 d0e4fe6d8202.

“Research Summary: Survey on Responses to Sexual Harassment.” ​The Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children​, 2011, www.metrac.org/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2014/07/research.summary .sexual.harassment.survey.feb11.pdf.

“RightRides For Women's Safety.” ​NYC Service​, www.nycservice.org/organizations/index.php?org_id=1113.

Roberson, Amaya N. “Anti-Street Harassment.” ​Off Our Backs​, EBSCOhost, May 2005, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=fyh&AN=17587773& site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Safe Streets Foundation.” ​Safe Streets Foundation​, www.thesafestreets.org/.

“SafetiPin Mobile Safety App Receives UK Aid Funding.” ​Safetipin​, 27 June 2014, safetipin.com/community/news/5/safetipin-mobile-safety-app-receives-uk-aid-funding/.

Senthilingam, Meera. “Sexual Harassment: How It Stands around the Globe.” ​CNN​, Cable News Network, 29 Nov. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/11/25/health/sexual-harassment-violence-abuse-global-levels/index. html.

Siegel, Reva B. “A Short History of Sexual Harassment.” ​Yale Law School​, Yale Press, 2003, law.yale.edu/system/files/documents/pdf/Faculty/Siegel_IntroductionAShortHistoryOfSe xualHarrasmentLaw.pdf.

36

Stoeffel, Kat. “Tattle on Cat Callers With New App Hollaback.” ​The Cut​, The Cut, 20 Aug. 2013, www.thecut.com/2013/08/tattle-on-cat-callers-with-new-app-hollaback.html.

“Street Harassment 'Relentless' for Women and Girls.” ​BBC News​, BBC, 23 Oct. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45942447.

“Stress & Young Women.” ​Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team​, 2006, www.rogersparkywat.org/stress-young-women/.

“Uber Drivers Will Mount Cameras on Their Cars for Crowdsourced Neighborhood Safety Project.” ​Safetipin​, safetipin.com/media/30/uber-drivers-will-mount-cameras-on-their-cars-for-crowdsourced -neighborhood-safety-project/.

“Uber Expands SafetiPin Partnership to 4 More Indian Cities.” ​Safetipin​, safetipin.com/media/19/uber-expands-safetipin-partnership-to-4-more-indian-cities/.

“Using Safetipin Nite to Collect Safety Data in Cities.” ​Safetipin​, 27 Nov. 2015, safetipin.com/blog/36/using-safetipin-nite-to-collect-safety-data-in-cities/.

Vardaan. “Safecity.in Mapping Unsafe Areas For Women In India.” ​IndianWeb2​, India Web2, 25 Oct. 2013, www.indianweb2.com/2013/10/25/safecity-mapping-unsafe-areas-women-india/.

Ward, Margaret. “The Apps Placing Information and Power in Women's Hands.” ​The Irish Times​, The Irish Times, 13 July 2019, www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-apps-placing-information-and-power-in-w omen-s-hands-1.3943191.

37

Weiser, Sonia. “Sexual-Harassment-Reporting Apps Help Stop Abuse in Global City Streets.”

New York Magazine​, New York Magazine, 12 Oct. 2018, nymag.com/developing/2018/10/safecity-walkfreely-ushahidi-sexual-harassment-abuse-r eporting-maps.html.

“What Is Street Harassment?” ​Stop Street Harassment​, Stop Street Harassment, Mar. 2015, www.stopstreetharassment.org/about/what-is-street-harassment/.

Young, Chelsea. “HarassMap: Using Crowdsourced Data to Map Sexual Harassment in Egypt.”

Technology Innovation Management Review​, Talent First Network, Mar. 2014, timreview.ca/article/770.

Young-Powell, Abby. “Reclaiming the Streets: the Apps Helping Women Tackle Sexual Violence.” ​The Guardian​, Guardian News and Media, 8 Mar. 2018, www.theguardian.com/careers/2018/mar/08/reclaiming-the-streets-the-apps-helping-wom en-tackle-sexual-violence.

Zamarrón, Israel. “Iztapalapa y Cuauhtémoc Lideran Reportes En Vive Segura.” ​Publimetro México​, 21 May 2017, www.publimetro.com.mx/mx/noticias/2017/05/21/iztapalapa-cuauhtemoc-lideran-reporte s-vive-segura.html.