women in South Africa live in constant fear of being harassed or assaulted.

And this starts at a young age.

— News24

"Public sexual harassment (or street harassment) is one of the most unregulated, overlooked, and misunderstood violations of fundamental rights of women and girls. These forms of harassment constrain women’s freedom of movement, preventing them from taking advantage of opportunities at school, at work and in politics. We believe that such forms of harassment must be eliminated if women are to have equal opportunities in society.

our mission:

leverage social media to create culture-shifting campaigns that tackle public sexual harassment and help women feel safer in public spaces

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What we Do

While there is no single silver-bullet approach to systemic change and solving gender inequalities, our 3-PILLAR approach is crucial in the transformation of underlying social and cultural norms that enable and promote public sexual harassment.

awareness campaigns

Safeguarding pop-ups are interactive and informative campaigns aimed at educating and empowering individuals about public sexual harassment. We deploy these pop-ups in various public spaces to engage with communities, disseminate vital information, and create a dialogue around this critical issue.

institutional partnerships

Lobbying efforts include collaborative partnerships with public and private institutions working towards making a meaningful and sustainable impact for women’s public safety. These partnerships address crime and safety issues eco-systemically across governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, and civil society groups.

training workshops

Community Engagement workshops are designed to promote safety and vigilance. Communities are encouraged to participate in urban planning to support the improvement of infrastructure like roads, street lights and pathways, creating safer public spaces that discourage criminal activity.

what is Public SEXUAL HARASSMENT

and why should we care?

1.

Public Sexual (Street) Harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent.

It includes unwanted whistling, leering, sexist, homophobic or transphobic slurs, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or destination after they’ve said no, sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, public masturbation, groping, sexual assault, and rape.

2.

Women and girls, people with disabilities, as well as the LGBTQl+ community, are uniquely vulnerable in public spaces, with crime and fear inhibiting their use and mobility.

At its core, sexual harassment is about power and control which is rooted in the unequally powered dynamics between men and women. These inequalities set the stage for rape culture where men feel entitled to a women’s body.

3.

Access to safe, affordable and reliable mobility is a right, and is echoed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11, which highlights the need to “make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. 

Until we get this right, millions of women will continue to bear the brunt of spatial inequality, especially in disadvantaged areas like townships and informal settlements.

Impact of Public sexual harassment:

Public sexual harassment (PSH) affects women’s daily routines. Women and girls go as far as changing their clothing, taking different routes home, deciding not to go for a run outdoors, or avoiding socializing at night entirely.

PSH can evoke feelings of fear, anger and anxiety in the victim. In the longer term, it can lead to anxiety and depression

Because of this fear, they are forced to spend money on private transportation, such as ride apps, when they would otherwise take public transportation or walk. For those who cannot afford these options, this fear can severely limit when and where they can go, which also limits access to employment and education.