via Feministing
Boston's Public Transit Authority has launched a massive campaign against harassment on their subway system, leading to twice as many reports of harassment.
This is awesome. Seriously, I so happy.
In light of this horrible story, on our radio show today Amelia and I talked about street harassment and its implications on women's lives. After the show, my roommate and I had a very intense, sappy, sad, frustrating conversation about our personal experiences with street harassment and how we have responded to it. We both realized how powerless we feel when we are being harassed, so we do nothing, allowing it to continue.
I believe that this is a common feeling among women. Its dangerous to respond to a harasser, as the linked story demonstrates to a sickening degree, however, doing nothing allows it to continue. So, obvisouly, I'm glad that the Boston public transport is implimenting a change. However, what about us non-Boston women? Hollaback websites are great, but what else can be done about a problem so many women deal with?
It's really awesome Boston is taking such a pro-active stance on it. At least someone is finally doing something about the pervasive problem of the sexualization of women's bodies in public and the thought that men have every right to infringe on a women's bodily sovereignty.
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