By Jessica Bashir-Stone
This month we celebrated two events intended to lift up women: International Women’s Day followed by Mother’s Day. Two of the most important days to support and encourage women, right?
We had love on International Women’s Day from almost everyone but the next day we learned that Sarah Everard was missing, and eventually that the police had found her remains.
Well, was she causing a fight? Was she getting herself in trouble intentionally? No.
She was on her way home from a friend’s house. Sarah was murdered.
As you can imagine, this story has caused uproar and for some this can be hard to understand. Until you have been sexually harassed in some way, I don’t think you will ever understand why so many women are so invested in this case.
This could have been me. This could have been your mother, sister, cousin, girlfriend, best friend. This could have been anyone.
Do we feel safe on the streets? No.
Nothing new
Sexual harassment is not new. This morning I got sexually harassed. Yesterday a girl on the Tube was sexually harassed. The day before a girl was doing her shopping and was sexually harassed. Even with this full media coverage and men saying they care, they are not doing a good job proving it.
Women often feel they cannot escape their attacker – especially on public transport, a confined space where sexual harassment happens far too often. If you are on the Tube or a bus, there is every chance you will not be able to escape.
A Holloway Express survey that was done today in the Wood Green area of north London showed that out of 50 women, just 12% of them said they had not been sexually harassed on public transport. This means 88% of women in Wood Green alone had been sexually harassed on public transport. We also asked these women at what age they were first sexually harassed, and the results are shocking.
Last year, YouGov did a survey asking women if they had suffered sexual harassment on London’s public transport. More than half said yes, with common offences being a man deliberately pressing up against them, flashing his genitals and/or requesting sexual favours. One in five said their bottom had been pinched or rubbed by a complete stranger.
Rampant on pubic transport
Personally, I have been sexually harassed on public transport for as long as I can remember.
When I was 12 and on my way to a concert a man grabbed my bottom on the bus.
When I was 15, two men cornered me on my train seat and told me I couldn’t leave until they saw my naked body.
When I was 18, I was followed home from work and called a ‘disgusting dog’ when I wouldn’t go home with a much older man.
Now I am 20, and this morning, a man on the Tube airdropped me a picture of his naked body. He said if I didn’t do the same back, he would follow me home.
Stared at by men
Every time I go out, I get stared out by men. I am not the only one. Imagine this, I am one person and I have had sexual harassment happen to me since I was 12 years old.
Now for anyone who thinks women are being overly dramatic, ask any woman who has been sexually harassed, and she will have stories like mine. Now look at the 97% of women in the UK and tell me ‘not all men’.
I spoke to Eleanor Russell, a 20-year-old costume and design student from Bristol. “For me, sexual harassment started when I was around 13 years old. I was on the school bus and some boys were dared to corner me and stroke my leg and not leave.
“I was 13! I was so uncomfortable. No one else said anything so in the end I told them to go away and went and found my sister on the school bus.”
Unfortunately, not many people are as lucky as Eleanor. She had her sister there and was able to get out of the situation. But for many, they are sat in silence until the next bus stop.
No signs it will stop
Sophie Alford Beck, 19, is a criminology student from London. Sophie was sexually harassed on public transport just four days after the whole population was in uproar over Sarah.
“I am a firm believer that they will get what’s coming to them. Luckily, I can stand up for myself. I am five foot ten and I can be loud, I know how to be. However, not everyone does,” she said.
“Some women have that voice inside of them, but they are so afraid in the moment they can’t use it. Men need to respect our boundaries and respect us as humans. I am not a toy.”
Like many others, Sophie and Eleanor and wondering if anything will change after this uproar. We know that the current generation like to protest and get their points across but are men going to change? I guess we will have to wait and see.
- For more about sexual harassment and assault in London, read Everyone’s invited. If you are the victim of any form of sexual harassment, text what, where and when to 61016 or call 101.
Leave a Reply