"Ca va ghazhelle!"
"Ciao bella!"
"Hey baby!"
loud whistling noises
These are all forms of street harassment. In most cases, it is just a shout out to a single person walking by. Sometimes, it is more intense followed by touching or in extreme cases, being followed. Some people believe that this is a way to compliment the person walking by. In reality, it is harassment and it is not ok.
As a PCV, I've experience multiple forms of street harassment. In Albania, it was usually "ciao bella!". In Morocco, it is usually "ca va ghazelle!". There have been occasions where I have been touched but thank God it has never been a case where I have felt unsafe or scared. PCV's worldwide experience street harassment. It is not limited to places where PCV's serve. It is in America. It is in Europe. It can happen to anyone at any time. It happens more frequently to the 'outsider'. As a PCV, we are usually different from everyone else in our community which makes us more susceptible to street harassment. This week, people around the world are raising awareness on street harassment as the key to ending it is education.
If you have ever been the victim of street harassment, now is the time to speak up. Tell your communities that it is not ok. Follow this link to read an article that goes into detail on how people around the world are trying to end it. Do your part. There are fliers that you can print out and put up around town. There are ideas for other projects and activities you can do to to educate your communities. Tell your story. Tell the people you know about what you have experienced and how it has affected you. This is the time to take action. Now is the time to stop street harassment.
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