About Us

L-R Rosie Swash, Bryony Beynon, Julia Gray at Reclaim the Night 2010

Hollaback! is a movement dedicated to ending street harassment. Street harassment occurs on a daily basis all over the world, and indeed all over London. The term ‘Street harassment’ is used to describe sexual harassment which takes place in public spaces, and refers to behaviour such as staring, commenting, shouting, following, touching, grabbing, groping, flashing, assault, and violence.

At HollabackLDN we were inspired by the work of Emily May and Hollaback in the USA who fight to combat the lived reality of street harassment  in its many and varied forms, that we experience in our own city of London.

Knowing that you are not alone, and that this behaviour is not just something you have to ignore, is the first step to making it unacceptable. The current social situation perpetuates the idea that women-identified bodies are public property, are somehow on offer, and that harassment, abuse, assault and daily fear is just the price we pay for being female. HollabackLDN  believe that everyone has the right to feel safe, confident and attractive; guilt free.

This site is a resource to allow people to share their stories without being victims, as well as to highlight just how often it happens, and to work on what we’re going to do about it; together. Working with other groups in London such as the ASH Campaign and Rape Crisis, as well as in our own communities, we hope to combat the attitudes that lead to this behaviour and the outdated cultural norms that some say make it ‘okay.’

We are here to abolish the cultural acceptance of sexual harassment. So far we’ve run workshops, marched with thousands of other feminists at Reclaim the Night and collaborated with creative young men and women on an independent self-produced publication (Langdon Olgar) while working together to make London’s streets a safe and amazing place to be. Join us!

CONTACT – london@ihollaback.org

Some Hollaback facts:

- Street Harassment has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with power. Whether it's "Hey baby girl" or “You’d look good on me,” groping, public masturbation, or worse, these “compliments” aren’t about flirting or about chivalry either.

- If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it's not okay.

- If you feel intimidated, you DON'T need to 'take it as a compliment.'

- Street harassment is a gateway crime that makes other forms of gender-based violence OK.

- Studies conducted show that between 80-90% of women have been harassed in public.

- Street harassment may be the social and cultural norm, but it is far from OK. Street harassment teaches us to be silent, that taking action will only escalate the situation. While this isn’t bad advice, it has led us down a dangerous road. Ultimately, perpetrators realise they won’t be held accountable and continue to harass.

- Hollaback! was designed by a group of young people who were tired of being silenced and sought a simple, non-violent response. What has emerged is a platform where thousands of stories of street harassment have been told.

- We believe that by continuing to tell and map these stories, our voices will chip away at a culture that makes gender-based violence OK. Together we have the power to end street harassment, one Hollaback at a time.

Tags

anti-street harassment Archway boobs bum slap bystander responsibility Cambridge CUSU cycling Event Feminists we love Geena Davis get involved groping Hollaback hollaback meeting Hollywood sexism international womens day langdon olgar langdonolgar library links LO2 london underground March meeting microaggressions News nightclub Oona King Policy Press proposition public masturbation public transport Reclaim the Night submissions taxi the law upskirt zine

© 2013 HollabackLDN!
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