Written submission from a women’s aid refuge (SPP0067)

This is a written submission in regards to ‘sexual harassment of women and girls within public spaces’. The submission contains the views of myself, and the views of the women who live within the refuge accommodation who are fleeing violence against women in the form of Domestic abuse, family violence and child sexual exploitation.

The scale and impact of sexual harassment of women and girls in public places

•                   How widespread is sexual harassment of women and girls in public places and what form does it take?
•                   Who are the perpetrators and the victims, and how does it happen?

My experience of sexual harassment of women and girls within public spaces is extensive. I feel this happens so often, on a daily basis, that it has become somewhat normalised within society. Women constantly feel uncomfortable in public due to the ‘glaring’ eyes of men. Women are shouted at as they walk down the street, whistled at and followed. I personally have so many examples of this happening to myself, and I am very aware that this also happens to my family, friends, colleagues, and the women I support. 

Happens all the time in public on the street, whistling, catcalling, shouting, looking you ‘up and down’, beeping horns, following you, cars slowing down as you are walking and drivers asking where you are going’. This happens every day, men feel they can do anything and women should just ‘obey’.

Men will approach you when you are out with friends at a bar, and will often insult you when you ‘turn them down’. Women will often feel the need to tell men that they have a boyfriend, even if they don’t, so they will ‘leave them alone’.

Harassment happens in schools, colleges, nightclubs and gigs. They (men) will take advantage of women, who have been drinking or who are drunk as they know they can get away with it.

•                   What is the impact of sexual harassment on the lives of women and girls? Are there other effects, such as on bystanders, or on society in general?

I feel unsafe the majority of the time when out in public, I will always be vigilant of where I am and who is around me when I am in public alone. I won’t walk in particular parts of the city, I will amend my route to miss spaces such as alleyways, parks, deserted areas. I will rarely walk alone in the dark, often opting to take a taxi or drive. I have, however felt unsafe within taxis on a regular basis. I have had experiences of being locked inside taxis. Taking public transport alone often feels unsafe due to being looked at by men, or comments being made.

Sexual harassment is common, it leads to lack of self esteem and confidence and you don’t feel safe to go out after dark or walk down quiet streets. You often feel uncomfortable on public transport and you find yourself ‘self monitoring’ what you wear as you feel this may influence men to harass you even more. Women feel unable to report sexual harassment to the police as they do not take it seriously and it’s not actually classed as a crime.  

Why does sexual harassment of women and girls in public places happen?

•                               What are the factors (including social and cultural factors) that lead to sexual harassment of women and girls in public places?

We live within a patriarchal society, a society which still remains unequal. Men remain holding the power. Women are still seen as ‘pieces of meat’ within many advertising campaigns, reinforcing the view that women don’t need to be respected. The gender pay gap still exits and women are underrepresented within key government structures and decision making. Women have and still are systematically oppressed within our society, and women within minority groups face multiple oppressions.  As long as this view is ingrained within our public spheres sexual harassment of women and girls will continue. 

•                               How do men and boys learn what acceptable behaviour is? 
•                               How can negative attitudes and behaviours be changed?

Children learn behaviours via a wide range of things, including their environment, their influences and their education, to name a few. From an early age it is evident that boys and girls are different and that they supposedly hold different ‘life roles’. This is shown to children in the toys they play with, and the colours that are assigned to each gender. Boys are often led to play with ‘masculine’ toys such as racing cars, action men, guns, swords, and building blocks, whereas girls are shown to play with dolls, kitchen ware, and dress up, including princesses, make up and high heels. From these early stages in life boys are learning that they can be ‘boisterous and unrestrained’ whereas girls are learning to be ‘quiet and subservient’.

Education within the school system needs to take a much more proactive stance around the harassment of women and girls. From a young age children should be taught to treat every human equally, education around healthy relationships should be within the curriculum and schools should work closely with specialist charities in order to develop age appropriate programs for children to understand the harmful affects of inequality. 

Men and boys learn by seeing other men acting in certain ways towards women and thinking this is normal behaviour. The contents of video games and movies influence how men and boys learn, and these are often negative towards women and girls. It is clear that schools need to take more of a proactive stance on healthy behaviours and relationships.

Preventing and responding to sexual harassment of women and girls in public places

•                               What are the police, local authorities or other bodies doing to tackle sexual harassment in public places? Who else has a role?
•                               Are more or different laws needed? Or do existing laws need to be better understood or enforced?

I feel that statutory agencies such as the police and local authorities do not take violence against women seriously. I have had many experiences within my professional role where I have supported women to report physical violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence to the police. Although some of the responses have been positive they are heavily outweighed by poor practise, leaving women feeling let down, guilty and ashamed. Women do not only feel this, they are often left at further risk from their perpetrators due to the actions of some professionals.

Women are not taken seriously by the police. Police can be intimidating and judgemental. “I was worried about what to wear when I reported sexual abuse to the police”. There is not enough police presence on the street and many men feel they can get away with everything. Police are doing very little about sexual harassment “because half of it isn’t even illegal”.

The government should make catcalling and misogyny a hate crime throughout the UK. They should listen to women’s voices and take them seriously, while making sure every school is educating children around the topics of violence against women.      

•                               Is current support adequate for victims of sexual harassment in public places?

No, women still feel like they are not being heard when it comes to sexual harassment by the majority of statutory agencies while the voluntary sector struggle to provide invaluable support to women due to lack of recourses and funding.

March 2018