Sexual Harrassment in Public Spaces

8/9/2019 Sexual Harrassment in Public Spaces

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3 March (Tuesday)

12:00

1:00 p.m., 41018NW

Social Development Discussion Group Gender Equity Thematic Group

SEXUAL HARRASSMENT

IN PUBLIC SPACESShanny Campbell

Senior Social Development Specialist (GAD), CWOD-PSS

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank(ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and

accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty

or inde endent status or necessaril conform to ADB's terminolo .


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Harassment on Public Transport


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70-99% of

women

experiencestreet

harassment

Poland 85%

average age tofirst experiencepublic

aggression is

12 years old

Croatia 99%

experienced,

33% of whom had

been physically

attacked

d e s e n s i t i z a t i o n


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Karachi, Pakistan

• >70% experienced harassment

• 75% by another passenger

•

20% by the conductor• 5% by the driver

• 34% of cases: touched or groped

• 7% of cases: following, stalking or blocking of

the way

•


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Baku, Azerbaijan

• 79% of female metro users experience

harassment

• Almost all did not react, or only

frowned – fear of escalation or

violence

• 80% of harassed were 18-30 years old

• 26% experienced help from

bystanders – most helpers were olderwomen

• 82% experienced harassment on the

train itself

• 35% on the platform

•Not time specific, but more physicaltypes are experienced when the

metro is crowded

• Feelings: angry, annoyed, disgusted

• 30% have decreased metro use

• Possible links with metro

management?


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Tblisi, Georgia

• Incidence: 45% had been harassed on

public transport in the last 6 months

• Location: inside the metro train (78%),

on the platform 14%, near the

entrance 14%, other places 6%.

• Type: leering (73%), sexual

comments/noises (31%),

touching/groping (38%), pushingagainst you/rubbing body (14%),

itching his private parts particularly to

make uncomfortable (6%), other

(14%).

•Most common time: 5-8pm (65.6%).

• Avoidance strategy: don’t take metro

alone 5%, use metro very seldom/off

peak 52.6%, stopped using metro

21.1%, avoid taking metro in the

evening 21.1 %.

• 86% got no help from bystanders.


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Why don’t people help?

19%

10%

25%

10%

6%

8%

2%0%

4%

14%

2%Not my business

My help wasn't required

I was frightened

I could not manage to help

I don't know how to help

Avoiding making a scene

It's embarassing

Men should help

Another person helped

I don't think the victim needed help

The harasser was a person in authority


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Why does SH occur?

12.5

9 8.5

52.5

22.5

21

18.517.5

21.5

6.5

36.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Women wear clothes that provoke indecent behavior among men

Women do not act decently/appropriately

Men will be men, boys will be boys

Lack of education among males

Metro is overcrowded

Poor lighting

Lack of security personnel/CCTVs

No law against Sexual Harassment

Security officers/ police do not treat Sexual Harassment complaints seriously,

perpetrators go unpunished

Women are too busy to complain

Other


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The New Twist to Victim Blaming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JLNjL-nITc


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Anti-Harassment Basics

1. & 2. Lighting, and Campaigns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIRqy4Covs


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3. Advocacy on Public Transport


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4. Apps and Maps

CircleOf6 OnWatch B-Safe HarrassMap

SeeSomethingSaySomething WomenUnderSeige

Hollaback HelpMeSafetiPin


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• Policies of transport authorities/companies

• Staff training on how to deal with reports

• Staff training on how to deal with culprits

• Legal implications

• Prosecution

• Name and shame/record and play

•

Transit staff reward and recognition

5. Consequences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snZco6cmzSs

Sexual Harrassment in Public Spaces

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