MEET US ON THE STREET: ANTI- STREET STREET CAMPAIGN Stop Telling Women To Smile #STWTS
- Stephanie Leitch
- Jun 2, 2015
- 2 min read
WOMANTRA's team was featured among 7 others from around the globe who participated in a solidarity action against street harassment. #AntiStreetHarassmentWeek #April12to18
Click here to see images of all the countries that participated in the week pasting #STWTS action.
WOMANTRA'S MESSAGE:
"It is our hope that clear messaging about street harassment will encourage women and men to engage with how they engage each other and give space for 'everyday' & normalized oppression to be deconstructed head on, without apology and not shying away from the deep misogyny that underpins male entitlement to women's bodies, attention & space.
Artist and designer of the #STWTS poster series Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, interviewed scores of women about their experiences of street harassment, sketched them and designed a unique poster and message. We decided to share some of our own experiences with you, many of which we're sure are shared:
No we do not want to give you a sip of our juice and not because we are selfish or prideful but because we know you are wasting our time with foolishness when there are thirsty people in this world.
How pretty I look has no bearing on whether or not I smoke, attend an event alone or any other scenario where you deem my physical appearance relevant. Prettyness nevah stop meh do nutun' yet!
No I do not have/need a body-guard .. tho I might if you continue to be creepy.
Don't touch me!
Don't follow me, on foot or in your car ... slugging at 5mph like a dog in heat. It makes me feel unsafe.
Don't talk to me from behind tinted windows while speaking in hushed tones. Human trafficking is real.
The fatness of my pumpum is none of your business!
If I was f***in' ugly why ya was hailing meh den?
Doh soot me like no dog. When you call I will not come.
Well smile nah! " ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear offender,
Smiling should ALWAYS BE a voluntary act. Women do not exist for your amusement or comfort, at the expense of our own. We don't owe you anything.
Women and all female identified persons deserve to feel safe in the streets and all public places, without the constant fear of being harassed or worse. Going into beast mode as soon as we step outside our own doors and into the street IS survival mode but the mechanisms we have ritualized for shielding off unwanted attention rob us of our natural joy.
Don't let the hashtag fool you - we want to smile very much. Freedom does that!
In solidarity, WOMANTRA .
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