GIRLS SPEAK OUT ABOUT STREET HARASSMENT
There’s no one solution to street harassment and violence, there are many! Working together – with individuals, organisations and individuals playing their part – we can put an end to the harassment and violence faced by girls in our cities.
“I'm tired, street harassment hurts me to the bone.” Girl, 16, Lima
Girls in cities have more opportunities and are more likely to be educated but they face sexual harassment, exploitation, and insecurity as they navigate urban environments. Our ground-breaking crowdmap – Free to Be – gave girls the chance to share their experiences of public places – like our streets, public transport and universities.
Girls and young women living in Delhi, Kampala, Lima, Madrid and Sydney contributed more than 21,000 testimonials to Free to Be. The analysis of their stories in our report, Unsafe in the City, found that in all five cities, boys and men grope, chase, stalk, leer at, verbally insult, and flash girls and young women.
It found this behaviour is condoned by society with authorities rarely taking action, and bystanders usually doing just that – standing by. This forces girls to adjust their behaviour to protect themselves.