Strategies for Visual Research: + Identify the specific area/s of communication design that I am interested in. Explore it in greater depth whilst completing a project that challenges and questions the role of communication design. This project will requires me generate and present solutions to a social issue that shows how particular skills in areas such as typography, information design, design- thinking, image making & illustration etc can somehow make the world a better place. + This project is not about design that just looks good or is commercially motivated. + I will develop and refine a range of ‘soft’ skills that are very much in demand in all BA Hons graduates, no matter the discipline. + Introduce a range of effective design research methods and develop skills in applying them. + Reflect and begin to master the design process. Knowing how I work and identify the areas within communication design I am most interested in is vital to my personal development. + DISCOVER A PROBLEM, + DELVE DEEPER INTO IT, + DEFINE MY THINKING AND APPROACH, + DEVELOP IDEAS AND PROTOTYPES, + DELIVER PROPOSALS AND OUTCOMES AND, FINALLY, + DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF YOUR SOLUTIONS. 1. Demonstrate an understanding of a range of research approaches and document the developmental process of turning research data into visual information. (Research) 2. Analyse and reflect upon work-in-progress and select the most appropriate approaches in the development of projects. (Analysis) 3. Experiment with the application of research methods appropriate to the solving of design problems in a strategic manner. (Experimentation) 4. Present research and design proposals in a visually coherent and aesthetically appropriate manner. (Communication and Presentation) 5. Work independently exploring and applying research methods, effectively planning and managing your time to create a range of design proposals to meet identified needs. (Personal and Professional Development)
THE BRIEF
DEFINE
DISCOVER CONTENTS
01. The definition of the subject explored 02. Findings from primary research 03. Experiences taken from Twitter 04. Talking to girls on the street
6 11 16 17
DELVE 05. Joe Brands Experience 06. Why do men street harass? 07. Sixty seconds with a street harasser 08. A compliment or harassment? 09. Case study of victim 10. Organisations already in place 11. How to speak to harassers 12. Maggie Hadleigh-West 13. Hollaback 14. Women not sex objects 15. Segregating men and women 16. Sexualised women in the media 17. Is street harassment against the law?
18. Six thinking men 19. Key findings 20. What do girls think could helo? 21. Fly on the wall 22. Character profile 23. A day in the life
48 49 51 52 53 54
DEVELOP 20 22 26 27 29 32 36 39 40 41 43 45 46
24. Consider all factors 25. Mind-map 26. First dominant ideas 26. Crime and punishment 27. Concept #1 - Concept Challenge - Proto-typing 28. Gender specific colour campaigns 29. Similar campaigns 30. Define the concept 31. Concept #2 - Similar publications - Prototype drawings - Positives and negatives
57 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 67 73 74 75 77 79
DEVELOP - CONT - Refined concept 32. Concept #3 - Concept challenge - Similar concepts - Proto-types - Key points 33. Development of film concept - Mind-map - Similar productions - Story board
DELIVER 80 81 83 84 86 87 88 89 90 92
DETERMINE 38. The Finished booklet 39. How the card works 40. The website 41. The Film 42. Conclusion of issue 43. Evaluation of project 44. A quote to remember 45. Bibliography
100 101 102 103 104 105 106 108
34. Chosen concept 35. Flow chart of outcome 36. Error analysis 37. Proto-typing
94 95 96 97
The Problem; Street Harassment has been an issue for a long time, and it is relevant to all over the country and world. As a young woman living in South London I have come to experience street harassment on a regular basis. It has been made clear to me that different people have different views of what comes under the term ‘harassment’. Some women feel being wolf whistled is harassment, where others don’t feel it should be called harassment until the man in question attempts something a little more extreme with further persistence to attract the attention of the woman. From research I have done on this subject I believe the term ‘harassment’ should be used when the woman feels a man has acted inappropriately to a higher level than just ‘being cheeky’. I believe there to be aline and the different examples may or may not cross that line. On more than one occasion I have been groped buy men I have never seen or spoke to before, in the middle of the day. Although it doesn’t do any lasting damage, I see it as unacceptable that some men feel they have the right to touch a woman they don’t know (especially on the bum). It makes me mad and grosses me out. This is why I have chosen this issue to investigate and find a resolution. I also feel this isn’t an issue I have seen get much attention.
DISCOVER
PERVERSION
>The act of perverting >The state of being perverted >Any of various means of obtaining sexual gratification that are generally regarded as being abnormal. Perversion is a concept used to describe types of human behaviour that are a serious deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although it can refer to varying forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviours that are seen by an individual as abnormal, repulsive or obsessive
“Public harassment is that group of abuses, harryings, and annoyances characteristic of public places and uniquely facilitated by communication in public. Public harassment includes pinching, slapping, hitting, shouted remarks, vulgarity, insults, sly innuendo, ogling, and stalking. Public harassment is on a continuum of possible events, beginning when customary civility among strangers is abrogated and ending with the transition to violent crime: assault, rape, or murder.� Carol Brooks Gardner, author of Passing By: Gender and Public Harassment (1995)
“Street harassment occurs when one or more strange men accost one or more women… in a public place which is not the women’s worksite. Through looks, words, or gestures, the man asserts his right to intrude on the women’s attention, defining her as a sexual object, and forcing her to interact with him.” Micaela di Leonardo, author of “Political Economy of Street Harassment” (1981)
THREE CATEGORIES OF STREET HARASSMENT: 1. “Severe: a) sexually explicit reference to a woman’s body or to sexual activities, b) profanities that are directed at a woman because of her gender, c) any comment that fits into these categories combined with racial or ethnic slurs, d) any comment that fits any of these three categories combined with references to a woman’s possible homosexuality, e) physical acts such as following a woman, throwing things at her, or pinching or poking her. 2. Moderately severe: a) sexual innuendoes, b) references to a woman’s gender or body that are not sexually explicit. 3. Least severe: a) staring, b) whistling, c) all other comments men make to women that are unnecessary or are not political in nature.” Tiffanie Heben, author of “A Radical Reshaping of the Law: Interpreting and Remedying Street Harassment” (1994)
“Street harassment occurs when one or more unfamiliar men accost one or more women in a public place, on one or more occasion, and intrude or attempt to intrude upon the woman’s attention in a manner that is unwelcome to the woman, with language or action that is explicitly or implicitly sexual. Such language includes, but is not limited to, references to male or female genitalia or to female body parts or to sexual activities, solicitation of sex, or reference by word or action to the target of the harassment as the object of sexual desire, or similar words that by their very utterance inflict injury or naturally tend to provoke violent resentment, even if the woman did not herself react with violence.” Cynthia Grant Bowman, author of “Street Harassment and the Informal Ghettoization of Women” (1993)
HAVE YOU EVER EXPEIRANCED STREET HARRASSMENT?
I asked 27 females in there 20’s if they had ever experienced a man they don’t know make sexual advances towards them on the street.
25 GIRLS ANSWERED YES 2 ANSWERED NO.
IF YES, HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN?
The frequency in which these girls experience harassment may vary due to things such as which areas they live in and places they frequent. This project focuses on South London and from what I understand the girls that answered ‘all the time’ or ‘quite a bit’ are mostly the girls that are living in South London
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
*OTHER “CONFUSED” “UN-NERVED AND WANTING TO WALK QUICKER” “ILL” “I HAVE BEEN UPSET BY IT IN THE PAST, FEELING INTIMIDATED BUT ITS A LONG TIME SINCE I CARED ENOUGH MORE THAN TO LAUGH A THEM.” “USUALLY IT’S UNSETTLING AND UNWELCOME”
WHAT IS THE MOST EXTREME OR DISTURBING THING A MAN HAS SAID TO YOU ON THE STREET? “I LIKE TO BE DONE UP THE BUM WITH A DILDO, WILL YOU DO IT FOR ME?”
“I WOULD DESTROY YOU”
“I WANNA LICK YOUR PUSSY” “ILL GIVE YOU THE BEST SEX YOUVE EVER HAD”
“YOU CAN CARRY ON WALKING BUT I’M STILL GONNA BE STARING AT YOUR ASS”
“DO YOU WANNA FUCK?”
“HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WITH A BLACK MAN? WELL ITS TRUE WHAT THEY SAY....”
“BABY! WILL YOU TAKE ME HOME WITH YOU???”
“SLIP IT IN NICE AND SLOW”
“YOU SHOULD HAVE A BODYGUARD LOOKING LIKE THAT OUT ON YOU OWN”
“OI! WANNA RIDE MY DICK!?’
“YOU LOOK LIKE A YOUNG KELLY BROOK..WELL YOUR CHEST DOES”
After carrying out this survey it has confirmed what I had assumed when I chose this social issue; It is a big problem which has affected almost all girls asked. The girls who answered these questions are all girls that I know. Next I intend to further my question to girls I don’t know of more varied ages and I will restrict it to girls only in my area of London. I want to keep it focused on the area I live in as that is where I know is a hot spot for street harassment and I chose this issue due to that fact.
I found these tweets about street or sexual harassment all within an hour, I’m sure if I searched twitter on more than one day I could find loads. I wanted to prove the fact that it happens consistently to many women.
Girls on Film
I hit the mean streets of London to find out if other girls shared the same opinion on this issue as me.
Click the play button to be taken to where you can view the film.
These girls seem to have the same opinion as me and I feel the point girl number 2 made was a good one, “how would they feel if it was there sister being harassed� That would be a good message to send out to guys as it may help them empathise with the issue.
These girls had quite an interesting angle, I don’t know if they would be so free and easy if they hung out in Brixton more. Its interesting to discover that girls are quite up for being approached if the guy is good looking. In my opinion if he’s that great looking he must have other faults if the only way he can meet women is to approach them on the street. Plus it is interest fuelled purely on lust or physical attraction, which is flattering but I don’t see that as grounds to take it to the next step. I would be interested to know how many girls share this opinion and if girls from or that live in London have less tolerances.
Click the play button to be taken to where you can view the film.
DELVE
JO BRAND: “As a woman, I’m sure other women will back me up on this, at least once if not many more times in your life you have to suffer abuse shouted at you on the street. And it’s really difficult because nine times out of ten you can’t fight back. In fact, the only time I ever did; I was in central London and the obligatory white van came past, you know, and some bloke shouted out, oh, I don’t know, “show us your tits you ugly…” whatever it was. And luckily for me, A, I had PMT and B, they were stuck in a traffic jam. So I went up to their van and pulled the windscreen wipers off. And actually I was very pleased about having PMT because I would have been too scared otherwise. But the most rewarding thing was the look on their faces. They could not believe that I’d done it, you know, it was great.”
“I went up to their van and pulled the windscreen wipers off.”
WHY
Why do men harass woman on the street? Why do some men do it a lot and others not at all? Why do women see it as an issue? Why aren’t women flattered?
WHY “Street Harassment Occurs Because Our Society Has Always Allowed It And Dismissed The Behaviour As Men Being Men” -Hadleigh-West.
“Some men see Street or Public harrassment like ‘giving a peach a squeeze to see if its ripe enough to enjoy” - Anon
“Often times it’s not really about the women, it’s just about the men performing masculine acts for each other and establishing a pecking order amongst themselves. What is really going on is the dynamic among men. Because society has perpetuated this as a cultural norm, men tend to engage in street harassment as a way to prove their masculinity” -Northeastern University associate professor of sociology Kathrin Zippel.
I conducted a survey to try and find out from a male point of view why other men might feel its appropriate to be openly perverted towards women they don’t know. So heres what the boys I asked thought...
“Its a form of school playground social interaction when your a child which has no respect and is totally alpha driven. So when they continue to do it when there fully grown men, it means they havnt grown up.”
“I suppose to some this seems like a way to try their luck and be proactive about it. Plus, I don’t think that it’s something guys take very seriously, I think that alot of people kinda see it as sport, a bit of a game. I don’t think many guys really think that this is a way to find someone for a meaningful relationship... Then again alot of people are pretty stupid...” “Not that they’re desperate, maybe they think they’re really hot? Or especially if they’re with mates, they’re showing off. They probably don’t know any other rational way to approach a woman”
“I think self indulgence and education play a good part here..”
“I think it tends to be older guys doing it to younger girls. Perhaps they think that These younger girls are easier to prey on. I think they would realise it doesn’t work if it never did but I am ure it must do sometimes. Trial and error and all that...”
CAN MEN JUSTIFY IT? (here’s some attempts) “Some people take street harassment offensively but the thing is, many men mean it in a flattering way and they don’t expect other women to take it seriously. in fact, some people don’t have the gift of comlementing so they do it in their own way! an example is: look at that hot a**; some women may get flattered by that but some others won’t... so it varies from one person to another.” “Anytime a man speaks or stares to/at a woman and the woman doesn’t want him to speak or stare to/at her is harassment. Nothing even has to said much less said in a sexual or flirtatious in my opinion”
“If Brad pitt ‘harrassed’ you I doubt yyou’dfine it as offensive. Women are so shallow.” “Apparently you can’t compliment a girl without her thinking ur trying to get in her pants, and then she’ll get all rude and stuff. Girls blow you off for giving you compliments. Girls love when guys say raunchy stuff if there “hot” enough. Ive learned the only way to get girls is to be as blatantly sexual as possible because they don’t like guys who aren’t forward.
“I went out for a walk to get some lunch. I was stopped by a man who demanded that I take off my cardigan because he “wanted a better look” at me. I told him no thanks and walked away from him, but not before he shouted that he was going to be thinking of me tonight when he rubbed one off. Please, tell me how I’m supposed to feel flattered?”
60
SECONDS WITH A STREET Harasser
This short interveiw made me realise that these offending men are not going to talk honestly to me. I’m sure some of the answers he gave weren’t true.
MAN; oi beautiful, can i ask you something ME; do you do this a lot, approach girls on the streets? MAN; only if they are really beautiful ME; do you get good results often? MAN; yeah course i do ME; do girls often give you there number? MAN; yeah ME; have you ever been on a date with a girl that u met on the streets? MAN; yes ME; what was the quality of the girl like? MAN;goood! MAN;can i have your number then? ME; no
The Line; A Flattering Complement or Street Harassment?
At what point does a compliment become street harassment. I want to clarify the line of what women tolerate or feel flattered by, and what is defined as the cause of women feeling like an object and uncomfortable. “In my opinion anything done once (unless it’s a really dirty comment or a demand for a sexual act) is expressing interest. It becomes harassment when it is repeated even though the initial interest has been ignored”.Girl A “I don’t mind honks or men smiling at me and checking me out. I’ve had men say my hair looked nice or I smell good and that’s fine. “You got some big ole titties,” however, is not welcome. Men know the line, it isn’t a fine one.” Girl B “It’s not “harassment” unless you’ve asked them to stop.” Girl C “I would be flattered if a random stranger told me I look good or have a beautiful smile. I have been told ‘your husband is a lucky guy’..and that definitely flatters me. I would feel harassed if a random stranger continued to show he’s interested even after I said no. I would feel threatened if a random stranger made pervy comments about the way I’m dressed or the way I look while licking his lips.. Random touching/groping is definitely harassment.” Girl D
From my questioning of women, I feel that most girls have the same opinon as me; A car honk, wolf whistle or passing comment isn’t harassment. Its annoying men think its there right to comment on girls appearances that they don’t know but its really not the end of the world. It starts to become harassment when they persist. When they keep pestering you for a phone number or follow you and sometimes even beg (not cool). I believe its classed as harassment straight away if the man in question invites himself to grope the girl as that is over stepping the mark and is completely out of line. I would love to grope some random guys as part of my research but I feel I would be far to scared of getting killed! Plus I think its too much even for research purposes.
“While I’ve heard the argument that street harassment is actually a compliment – you know, because we’re supposed to be flattered that strange men are screaming at us about our asses – it’s really a super-insidious form of sexism. Because not only do perfect strangers think that it’s appropriate to be sexual toward any woman they want, but street harassment is also predicated on the idea that you’re allowed to say anything to women that you want – anytime, anywhere.” Jessica Valenti, author of He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut…and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know (2008) and executive editor of Feministing.com
WHAT
What are the implications of street harassment? What has already been done to resolve the problem? What needs to change in order to resolve the problem?
EFFECTS OF STREET HARASSMENT. +Victims feel angry and violated. +It can cause people to stay inside rather than go outside. +People change their routes that they take to school and work to avoid being harassed. +It makes people self conscious about how they are being perceived by others. +It causes some people to change their style of dress, just to avoid getting harassed on the street. Case study; 14 year-old Sarah* was brought to a counselling office by her concerned parents who were worried that she wasn’t exhibiting enough independence for her age. Sarah, they said, was often hesitant to run errands on her own and wanted to be escorted when she walked to and from school. Sarah met with a counsellor one-on-one to get her reaction to her parents concerns, and after a few minutes she blurted out “I don’t like old men saying things to me”. Sarah had been keeping a secret from her parents. On an almost daily basis, men were making sexual comments to her when she was on the street or taking public transportation. These comments ranged from “hey baby” to explicit remarks about her body. To cope with the harassment she had developed strategies such as wearing headphones or pretending to talk on the phone. Despite her resourcefulness, Sarah was forced to become aware of the sexual way in which some men viewed her, when she just wanted to go to her friend’s house or walk to school. Taken from; www.psychologytoday.com
“WOMEN SHOULD AVOID DRESSING LIKE SLUTS IN ORDER NOT TO BE VICTIMISED” WORDS OF A POLICE MAN
SLUT WALK
It was those words of a policeman that lead to the protest ‘SLUT WALK’ . The protests began on April 3, 2011, in Toronto, Canada. Following that it became a movement of rallies across the world. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman’s appearance. SlutWalks have become the most successful feminist action of the past 20 years. It was attended by thousands of women and men, and debated in the media. The movement is motivated by the feeling that there is not excuse for sexual harassment, rape or anything of that nature. It cannot be blamed on the victim for ‘dressing provocatively’ or ‘asking for it’ At the end of the day if a woman objects to advances from a man, that should be the end of it.
“It’s to bring awareness to the shame and degradation women still face for expressing their sexuality... Essentially for behaving in a healthy and sexual way,” the 20th told the
Associated Press (AP) news agency.
So the slut walk protest braught thousands of women and men together who have strong veiws on this issue. Heres some examples of why some people felt they wanted to join this protest... “I am walking because as a thirty-something female, over the years, I’ve faced that familiar feeling before leaving the house for a night out, particularly when I’ve been living in a big city. Do I look ok? Will I get any hassle between home and destination? Can I run in these shoes if I need to? Will I get home safe? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to dress how we liked and not be afraid, of judgement or worse. Without getting too deep into it, women are expected to be sexually continent. They CAN control themselves if a hot guy walks past. They are not likely to use it as an excuse for violence. It’s time to end the sexual double standard.” - Rosie
“We are marching to prove that “a slut” does not exist – it’s a term of abuse catapulted at women for so many different reasons, with countless different definitions. It’s a word that shows that female sexuality is still controlled, that is objectified rather than celebrated. By coming together and putting us all under a SlutWalk label so to speak, celebrating sexual diversity and choice, we’re highlighting that not only can women be called a slut for such irrelevant reasons, but that by using words like slut, society is ignoring the real causes of rape.” -Aimee
Although ‘slut walk’ tackles maybe more extreme examples of sexual harassment there is a definite link with what these protesters are battling for and the issue I am studying. As much as I believe being harassed is not the fault of the girl, If I am dressed up for a night out or I’ve made an effort on my appearance I feel I should take some responsibility. But at the same time why should’nt girls be able to look nice and wear clothes to flatter there figures. If a girl wears a low cut top or short skirt she should really expect men to look as if she really didn’t want that, why wear it? But going back to ‘The Line’ No man has the right to comment on what a girl they don’t know looks like. In the same way that if you see someone overweight, it would be unforgivable to go up to them and say ‘ HI FATTY’. And as I have said in pervious slides, a passing compliment isn’t harassment, but sexually explicit comments are discussing and unwelcome. On top of that I think its outrageous for a man to think he can grab a girls bum or touch her when he doesn’t even know her. Obviously there are differently levels of servairty floating around but ‘Slut Walk’ promotes the views that sexual assault or rape is never the girls fault. I wish to echo these views with regard to street harassment.
Stop Street Harassment is one of the websites that aims to improve the current situation. It is a resource center where visitors can access lists of statistics, articles, films, and campaigns around street harassment as well as ideas for action to stop street harassment in their community. Stop Street Harassment also provides people with a place to share their stories. International Anti-Street Harassment Week is one of Stop Street Harassment’s campaigns. Stop Street Harassment’s definition of street harassment is: Unwelcome words and actions by unknown persons in public which are motivated by gender and invade a person’s physical and emotional space in a disrespectful, creepy, startling, scary, or insulting way.
) Nearly 81 percent of female respondents were the target of sexually explicit comments from an unknown man at least once. More than 41 percent have been the target at least 26 times in their lives. ) Seventy-five percent of female respondents have been followed by an unknown stranger in public. More than 27 percent have been followed at least six times. ) About 62 percent of women say a man has purposely blocked their path at least once and 23 percent said this has happened at least six times. ) Nearly 57 percent of women reported being touched or grabbed in a sexual way by a stranger in public. About 18 percent said they have been touched sexually at least six times. ) More than 37 percent of female respondents have had a stranger masturbate at or in front of them at least once in public.
SIX SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO TALK TO A HARASSER: 1. Use strong body language. Look the harasser in the eyes; speak in a strong, clear voice. Using your voice, facial expressions, and body language together, without mixed signals, show assertiveness and strength. 2. Project confidence and calm. Even if you do not feel that way, it is important to appear calm, serious, and confident. 3. Do not apologize, make an excuse, or ask a question. You do not need to say sorry for how you feel or what you want. Be firm. 4. You do not need to respond to diversions, questions, threats, blaming, or guilt-tripping. Stay on your own agenda. Stick to your point. Repeat your statement or leave. 5. Do not swear or lose your temper: This type of reaction is the most likely to make the harasser respond with anger and violence. 6. Decide when you’re done. Success is how you define it. If you said what you needed to say and you’re ready to leave, do so.
I think these tips are helpful to women as like in a lot of difficult social situations, when you are taken by surprise its hard to know what to say. From my research it appears there are some really good resources to help women online. They do seem to be very under published considering its an issue that affects so many women. Unless you were to google ‘street harassment’ I cant imagine many woman accessing this information.
EIGHT IDEAS FOR WHAT YOU CAN SAY TO A HARASSER: 1. Name the behavior and state that it is wrong. For example say, “Do not whistle at me, that is harassment,” or “Do not touch my butt, that is sexual harassment.” 2. Tell them exactly what you want. Say, for example, “move away from me,” “stop touching me,” or “go stand over there.” 3. Ask them if they would want their mother, sister, daughter, girl friend, wife treated like they are treating you. 4. Make an all-purpose anti-harassment statement, such as: “Stop harassing women. I don’t like it. No one likes it. Show some respect.” Speak it in a neutral but assertive tone.
5. Use an A-B-C statement (and be very concrete about A and C): Tell the harasser what the problem is; State the effect; and What you want. Here is an example: “When you make kissing noises at me it makes me feel uncomfortable. I want you to say, ‘Hello, ma’am,’ from now on if you want to talk to me.” 6. Identify the perpetrator: “Man in the yellow shirt, stop touching me.” (This is especially useful if other people are nearby, like on a bus). 7. Attack the behavior, not the person. Tell them what they are doing that you do not like (“You are standing too close”) rather than blaming them as a person (“You are such a jerk”). 8. Use the “’Miss Manners’ Approach” and ask the harasser something like, “I beg your pardon!” or “I can’t believe you said that,” or “You must have me confused with someone to whom you think you can speak that way,” combined with facial expressions of shock, dismay, and disgust.
Maggie Hadleigh-West Maggie Hadleigh-West is an internationally recognized independent filmmaker, activist and an inspirational public speaker. She has been writing, directing and producing in film, television and for corporations since 1991. Her work is often considered to be controversial, provocative, radical and irreverent. Maggie H-W is relevant to my project as she created a film tackling the under publicised issue of street harassment. In her film ‘War Zone’. War zone is about sex, power and what happens when men—either knowingly or unknowingly—threaten a woman’s right to walk undisturbed on the streets. What exactly do catcalls, leers or a whole litany of other behaviours mean to a woman? And why do men engage in these behaviours? War Zone is 76 minutes of explosive footage as the filmmaker places herself in very real danger by daring to ask the men on the streets why they are treating a complete stranger in a sexual way. In the process, she has been hit, yelled at, apologized to and engaged in mesmerizing conversations with the men that have harassed her
CLICK HERE
Hollaback! is a movement dedicated to ending street harassment using mobile technology. Hollaback! is creating a crowd-sourced initiative to end street harassment. Using mobile technology hollaback aims to gather women’s experiences in order to make a change that’s needed on the streets. 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. 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.
- 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.’ Hollaback! was designed by a group of young people who were tired of being silenced and sought a simple, nonviolent response. What has emerged is a platform where thousands of stories of street harassment have been told.
Hollaback continued... As part of the hollaback movement women are invited to submit there experiences of street and sexual harassment and it gets plotted on a map. Girls are also encouraged to take photos of the men and they also get posted up on the website. In the US a iphone app has been developed, its yet to reach the UK but i’m sure its just a matter of time.
This movement seems to be doing great things buy tapping into the social media craze and making things like these apps. It is so easy for girls to report what happens to them with the iphone app that it is sure to have many followers. In turn this will get more attention on the issue. Its a very inspiring movement.
OBJECT;
Object is a London-based, award winning human rights organization challenging ‘sex object’ culture – the ever increasing sexual objectification of women in the media and popular culture. The sexual objectification of women through lads’ mags, lap dancing clubs or sexist advertising. They challenge ‘sex object culture’ because of the role it plays in reinforcing sexism and the attitudes it promotes, which underpin inequality and violence against women. Object eventually want to achieve full human rights for women and must involve tackling gender stereotyping and the objectification of women in the media. Its organizations like this one that promote an attitude that could support the issue that I am working on. With the media and advertising focusing so heavily on sex and the roles women play in sexuality, it must contribute to the attitudes that men and boys have towards women.
Segregation
In some cities around the world, female only subway carriages have been implemented. Currently Japan, Egypt, India, Iran, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines and Dubai are the only countries who have this system inaction. Other countries are Startiong to request the same. In south Korea it was only September 2011 that the idea came into action after consistent rises in sexual harassment on the subway, especially during rush hour. According to a local report quoting the subway police, 550 sexual crimes were reported during the first five months of 2011, which represents a 22 percent increase from last year. Another local report revealed that the number of sex offenders in 2010 reached 1,192. This could be seen as one solution, but the new idea has been under fierce debate online. In 1992, a similar system was applied to a subway line, but was soon scrapped after people failed to stick to the rule. When it came to busy students and workers, the matter of catching the right subway train was much more important than sitting in the right compartment.
The overall feelings on this idea have been negative, it isn’t an ideal solution as it doesn’t tackle the issue head on. It doesn’t attempt to change the mind set of offending males nor does it up the security or punishment for men in question. But when a survey was taken online it showed that peoples initial opinions where positive; women could feel much safer, while men would be able to escape any unnecessary misunderstandings deriving from the inevitable accidental close encounters that occur within the crowded subway system. It just happens that when put into practice it has the potential to cause more problems than solve them. I think if this idea was applied in London it would be a real shame. To think that a city as advanced and evolved as ours needs to separate men and women. It would be a real indicator as to how backwards some people are. As stated before, this is not a solution to the issue but a stab at a preventative measure. Good on the countries mentioned above for doing something about it, but I think its sad that men can’t be trusted to be in a confined space with a women.
Segregation
WHEN
When can we blame other factors for mens behaviour? When can the police get involved? When is the the girls fault?
Does the sexualisation of women in the media have a part to blame?
Advertising and the media are full of images of women in a sexual context. This could partially be the reason that some men see women as objects. Advertisements very often use half naked women to sell there products. See the examples below.
I found it so easy to find examples of sexual images in the media as they are literally everywhere. I’m sure the extent of half naked women in the media has an effect on mens attitudes as being exposed to images such as the above make sex seem much less of a taboo. Some men may grow up seeing these imagines and so could begin to think that looking or being a sexual object is all women are necessary for. On the other hand other men are clearly not influenced by these such images and continue to respect women and treat them equally. I agree that it may help to sell products and they are pleasant to look at but I think seeing these images all the time must desensitize men to the delights of the female form.
At what point does street harassment break the law? If the harasser is threatening, touching or following, flashing or masturbating at the girl, or persisting in more benign forms of harassment, he can be reported to the police or a security officer. In Independence, Missouri, it’s a $500 fine or jail time for people who harass pedestrians and cyclists from their cars! Unfortunately that is not a law in London, but I would be interested to see the consequences of a law of that nature to be put in place. Often when girls report street harassment to police it can be met with reactions such as ‘what do you expect’ but really the police should take it seriously as its potentially the men that think harassing is OK that are the ones to take things one step further. Last year Louise Melling blogged her experience with street harassment and the involvement of the law.. She was walking to work when a guy smacked her on the bum. She was fuming and chased him into the bank. She then told him what she thought and he shouted back. She then phoned the police and the officer drove her round the streets to try and spot the offender. They had no luck and Louise decided not to take it any further, but I think this was a great move on behalf of the police. If there was more publicity about what elements of street harassment men could serve punishment for I believe there would be a lot less extreme experiences of Street or sexual harassment.
DEFINE
? SIX THINKING MEN
WHAT What do I want the end result to be? What is not safe to do? What skills can I offer? What do I believe will be the most effective outcome to be? What is the best medium for communicating with men? WHY Why are men unaware of there misbehaviour towards women? Why are men still doing it? Why will I be able to change the situation? Why have some of my ideas not already been done? HOW How can I approach the issue with out making men feel victimised How can I communicate the solution? How come this is an issue that isn’t spoke about much? How will I bet able to gauge the effectiveness of my solution? WHEN When will I be ready to try out my solution? When will the issue improve without any input? (e.g will it die out with generations?) WHO Who will my soul ti on help the most? Who will it be most effect to target with my outcome? (Men or women) WHERE Where can I distribute or get attention on my solution? Where is it relevant? Where can I test my solution?
KEY FINDINGS;
From my extensive research I have come to the following conclusions;
1. Street harassment is a big issue and one that isn’t discussed much, I knew this as even though I have moaned to people when guys have said perverted things to me in the street it was never something I thought to discuss as an over all issue, I also was unaware when I started this project that the problem is name,ed ‘Street Harassment’. Even though I knew it affected most of my female friends I had no idea that is was such a massive problem here in the UK and all over the world. I found the statistics shocking. I knew my findings would be high in my personal survey I conducted as I approached girls of a similar age and in a similar area to me. After reading about a larger online survey (811 women) I was surprised that 99% of them had suffered street harassment. 2. Although it isn’t an issue spoke about much, if you know what your looking for there are a lot of online Re sauces. I don’t believe many women know about the advice and support that is available to them. 3. Majority of men dot harass women on the street but there still appears to be many guys that do. In a slide about I have taken quotes from guys excusing there behaviour and I guess there are the guys that are the offenders. So I can summarize my issue into three sections; 1. Mens behaviour and lack of empathy towards women. They don’t seem to realise that what they are doing has consequences. 2. How the women react; it can ruin your day and make you feel intimidated but with the right reactions women can feel empowered and be in a better position to tackle the situation. 3. There is already a lot of advice around online. With the right spotlight women will easily be able to access these sources.
WHO
Who do I want my outcomes to communicate with? Who else can I talk to to gain a further insight into the problem? Who may find this issue sensitive?
I asked some girls what they felt could potentially help the issue.
“SOME KIND OF LAW ENFORCED PUNISHMENT MEN GET AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY KNOW NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.”
“STAY AWAY FROM MEN IGNORE ADVANCES - TELL THEM POLITELY BUT STERNLY THAT YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ANYTHING THEY HAVE TO OFFER, KARATE KICK TO THE NUTS IF NECESSARY.”
“MORE AWARENESS WOULD BE GOOD.”
“I DUNNO, MAYBE EDUCATING THAT THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR ISN’T ACCEPTABLE. SOME SORT OF PATROL IN AREAS WHERE IT OCCURS A LOT.”
“BAN PUBLIC HARASSMENT ON THE STREETS”
“STRONGER WOMEN FIGURES IN THE MEDIA, FREE MARTIAL ART LESSONS, STOP SERVING ALCOHOL TO PERVERTS...”
“NOT SURE REALLY IT WOULD BE HARD TO PROVE WHAT THE PERSON SAID TO ME”
“SEXUAL HARASSMENT EDUCATION FOR BOYS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL AND A DIRECT NON EMERGENCY POLICE PHONE NUMBER FOR WOMEN TO CALL”
After I came across this IDEO card I have been keeping my eyes peeled for observation opportunities. It didn’t take long for me to be an eye witness to an experience of street harassment whilst in Brixton. A youngish black guy had approached a girl in her early 20’s. In his strong london accent his opening line was ; ‘DAMNN GIRL YOU LOOK FIIIINE’, She responded by giggling. He then asked for her number, She said yes and got her phone out. She gave him her number and he put it into his phone. He then said, ill call you soon beautiful. She met that with smiles and a ‘cool’
I found this to be interesting, I know that sometimes girls will give out there numbers to guys on the street, but it’s not a great example to back my project. However it is good to acknowledge all eventualities. I could convince myself that she gave out her number as an awkward reaction not knowing what to say. I think really she quite fancied him and enjoyed the attention. So this isn’t an issue; both parties happy. But I wonder what he would have been like if she said no?
Character Profile; Esther, 23 - Law Student
“I recently moved up to london from Dorset. I knew from my visits to London in the past that the guys up here are a lot more confident and graphic in there attempts to chat up girls they don’t know. I live in oval which is where I have experienced a lot of unwanted attention. They normally catch me offgrade and I end up giving out my number as I never know what to say to them. The other day I was on my way to the gym, I think this is a good example of unwanted street harassment as there is no way anyone could say I was provocatively dressed. I had my gym clothes on (track suit, trainers etc) and a big coat on top of it. I passed a car that was full of young black guys and then following me for a while why shouting things at me to try and get my attention, I tried ignoring it but the guy got out the car to ask me where i was going and to strike up conversation. I wanted to cut the conversation off so I could get away but in order to do that I gave him my number. On the way back I bumped into him again! He told me he would call me later, which he did. I didn’t answer and deleted his voice mail as it made me feel a bit grossed out!!! Stuff like this happens all the time and I never know what to say. I normally just say what I think will get me out the situation at the time. “
A Day In The Life; of myself.
Since I chose this issue because Its something i have experienced, I thought I may as well use myself to log a day in the life. (although someonelse could have been a more exciting read) I had a couple of relevant experiences yesterday whilst out and about so I think that is a good day to study. It started like any other; woke up, had a diet coke,got dressed. I decided to go into Brixton to buy some food. So I walked to the bus stop and sat and waited. It was at that point that I noticed a man checking me out. I would like to pretend as though I am oblivious to this kind of thing but I could feel his gaze burning through me. I should add I was not provocatively dressed, no tits on show and I had a big coat on so leaving all key area’s to the imagination. I ignored the man looking at me and ate my twix. He then asked me if I was going anywhere nice, but without looking at me, which was weird, but since it was only me and him there i decided by a process of elimination that he must be talking to me. I answered No. Then he paused and said I have pretty eyes, I said thanks. Then he asked if he could have my number and I said no sorry i have a boyfriend. Then he said ohh cant we be friends??? and i said no my boyfriend will get mad! (which is my tried and tested response.) Nothing more was said but we got the same bus and it was awkward. He wasn’t threatening and to be honest to wasn’t a traumatic experience or anything but if I was new to this game I wouldn’t know what to say and it would be horridly awkward. My next taste of perv’s was a man that walked past me on Brixton high street. As he passed me he looked me up and down and made a psssss pssssss noise and then a whistle like the noise you make to get a horse to piss. I hate that. I don’t understand it. To me that is worse than someone asking for my number. I should add he was 50 odd. I was frustrated by all of this for a number of reasons, I was not looking my best. I looked tired and wasn’t showing any skin. This leads me to believe that its not about the guy finding the girl attractive its purely the fact they are a girl. Just because I have a vagina does not mean I should be whistled at like a dog. So from this I am able to back up the fact that it happens ALOT in South London.
DEVELOP
How
How can I use my design skills to help the problem? How can I approach the issue with out causing offence to men? How has this issue been tackled before? How can I be sure I choose the best solution?
Consider All Factors
BRAINSTORMING
A good starting point for me to generate ideas is always brainstorming although its no revolutionary design method. I started by brainstorming the dominant ideas.
AS A RESULT OF THE ‘MIND MAP’ I CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING DOMINANT IDEAS;
DOMINANT IDEAS
Awareness campaign; The statistics could be used as a shock tactic to draw attention to the campaign. This issue has the advantage of being something a lot of people don’t realise the enormity of which leaves room for people to learn about it. - The campaign could involve a number of visual pieces to attract attention to the campaign. e.g ‘no vacancy’ or ‘Harassing me won’t get me into bed’ Badges for women to wear. The campaign would be headlined by posters aimed at men. I would reach the targets by ensuring the posters where placed in areas that men are known to frequent. e.g Mens toilets -in places like pubs, betting shops, sports clubs, maybe even workplaces. Film; There are many platforms that a short film could be applied to in order to get the right attention from men. e.g as an advert before a you tube video that has a sexual element, or a pop-up with from a porn website. The film would aim to show men the error of there ways, e.g what is wrong, why its wrong, and what they should do in order to meet women. A Publication Aimed at Women; A publication with facts and advise aiming to educate women and advise them on how to deal with harassment in a safe way. This could be an idea where I could use my illustration skills. I would want this to be something that made women feel empowered and reiterate the message that women are not at fault when in comes to sexual harassment.
Publication Aimed at men; Some form of information source for women to give to men when they have been harassed. The contents of this publication would loosely include the following; -Pin point what they have done and why its wrong -The consequences felt by women when street harassment happens - How it is not the best way to meet women - Advice on how to meet women. Safety on the street campaign -Advertising campaign to get women carrying rape alarms Crime and Punishment Clarify the line of what is out of order using my graphic communication skills. When men step out of line have a prosedger to enforce punishment. The punishment could take form in a re-eduation class, similar to drink diving awareness classes.
AN EXAMPLE OF AFFECTIVE CRIME AND PUNISHMENT; When you commit a crime, like drinking and driving, you can be forced to enrol on a course to rehabilitate your old habits. DRINK DRIVING COURSE AIMS: To provide attendees with pertinent information on drink driving in order to motivate adjustments in attitude, which will effectively deter attendees from driving after consumption of alcohol, thus deterring reconviction rates. METHODOLOGY The courses will be delivered in a classroom environment using professionally qualified trainers with experience of policing, probation, the court system, adult education techniques, crash investigation and driving psychology. They will use verbal presentations backed up by audio visual aids. Presentation techniques will promote intense interaction with the participants. At the conclusion of the course each participant will be Invited to sign a pledge not to drive after having Consumed alcohol.
A program like this could poetenically work to re-educate men but realistically I cannot imagine men to be willing to take part in something like this. Unless more street harassment got reported to the police and there became a spotlight on re offenders who would then be made to under go a ‘attitude to women rehabilitation’ But men would never volunteer to attend such a course. However neither would a drink driver, so if there was a clearer line with regards to the laws on street harassment this might be affective.
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN A successful awareness campaign could lead men to understand the offence they are committing and why things need to be change. It needs to be strong enough to make men feel motivated enough about the issue to want to change.
Factors That Can Work Towards A Powerful Campaign; +Guilt trip; Use of images and text to make me feel bad for harassing women, the idea of ‘how would you feel if it was your mum, sister or girlfriend’ could help with this. +Shock Tactics; Use examples of extreme cases and stories that showcase extreme examples of the consequences to women. +Ultimatum; If the situation doesn’t improve what would the next course of action be? Legal? or more ‘women only’ zones? +Embarrassment; Men often hassle women to make there selves feel more manly, or make them seem like the big man in front of there mates. A campaign that could make men feel embarrassed of there behaviour or make them seem desperate could motivate them not to re-oftend.
DOMINANT IDEA
Multimedia Awareness; As mentioned before I would try to apply this campaign to areas and medium that I feel would communicate well with men. + Mirrors; Mirrors in mens toilets, speech, or thought bubbles could be applied to mirrors in mens toilets, seeing there selves related to the offence may communicate the message well. + Beer Mats; Another medium that may react well with men is beer mats, men sit in pubs for hours on end (as do women). The messages and advertising must make its way into the brain. + Posters; Posters could be places in areas that attract men; e.g mens toilets, sports clubs, betting shops, pubs. Or areas where the offence takes place; e.g street corners, lampposts on streets etc.
CONCEPT CHALLENGE Key Points + A potential gorilla element could be effective. + Confessions Box for men to confess there acts of street harassment or general sexual harassment. They could then be offered information on how to change. + Interactive mirror idea. + Awareness campaign within schools.
Protoyping;
I tested out some of the mediums that may be appropriate for an awareness campaign. If I was to take this idea forward I believe it could be an effective method of communicating with men within there comfort zones. Beer mats work as a good method of subliminal awareness. Men could spend hours sat by a beer mat and he’s guaranteed to glance at it for a few minutes during his visit to the pub.
GENDER SPECIFIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS COLOURS
DELVE
GENDER SPECIFIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS COLOURS
SIMILAR CAMPAIGNS In the late 1980s artist Ilona Granet designed several anti-harassment street signs. Her goal was to “get the word out that women usually find street harassment unpleasant, annoying to grotesque, and intolerable.” One sign says, “Curb your animal instincts” in both English and Spanish and another says, “No Cat Calls, Whistling, Kissing Sounds.” They are made of the same type of material as a stop sign and are about the same size. Granet exhibited her signs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and various travelling shows. Most impressively, she worked with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to get several of her signs posted in public for about a year. She was able to do so successfully in locations near the World Trade Centre, the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and Battery Park. Her signs generated a huge amount of press across the world, including radio, television, newspapers, and magazines.
“My goal is to get the word out that women usually find street harassment unpleasant, annoying to grotesque, and intolerable.” -Ilona Granet
“Don’t be that guy”
“Don’t be that guy” Campaign was launched on November 22, 2010 in Edmonton Canada. Typically, sexual assault awareness campaigns target potential victims by urging women to restrict their behaviour. Research is telling us that targeting the behaviour of victims is not only ineffective, but also contributes to how much they blame themselves after the assault. This campaign is targeting potential offenders - they are the ones responsible for the assault and responsible for stopping it. By addressing alcohol-facilitated sexual assault without victim-blaming, Edmonton, Canada on the map as a model for other cities. This is an anti-rape campaign that targets the perpetrators, rather than the victims.
My campaign would have two potential target audiences. Men -attempting to resolve the issue head on, tackling mens misjudgments of what women want and re-educate them on how to behave. Or Women - making women feel that they are not alone in there experiences, educating them on how to stay safe and react to harassers. This campaign, although its not tackling exactly the same issue as me it represents what a campaign aimed at men could be like.
THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION TO RAPE ME;
‘This is not an invitation to rape me’ is a campaign that has taken place in Scotland. It clarifies the idea that dressing provocatively is the something to blame if a women is a victim of sexual assault or rape. It speaks out for the women who have been scrutinized for what they were wearing at the time of the offence. It also clearly states that rape is never the fault of the victim, weather they willingly kissed there raper before, flirted, married, where under the influence of alcohol, none of the above warrant blaming the victim. No means no. Women should be able to have a good time just like men can with out having to worry about being raped. Although rape isn’t the issue I am targeting I believe it to be tackling part of the same problem as my project - mens attitudes and actions. If I refer to the extreme cases of harassment - touching/groping that can often leave women blaming the fact that maybe they were looking a little too sexy, this is no excuse and men need to realise that.
AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO EVERYDAY MEDIUMS;
With this being an issue that any everyday man may be guilty of adding to, or any everyday women experiencing, the advantage of applying it to an everyday medium may be vast. This interactive shock tactic design pictured below is a good example of an awareness campaign which gets people to reflect and will grantee a reaction. If i could create a campaign that could be showcased on an everyday item it would grantee reaching more people. I think this campaign is so inspiring original. When applying this inspiration to my own project and potential campaign I think a relevant application for my message maybe beer mats. Beers mats would be able to target men in a relevant environment. From my research it was clear that some girls felt alcohol played a big part in mens over confidence. Also being sat with something (such as a beer mat) for a long time, which is often the case, gives the message a good chance to sink in.
The above billboard image is sourced from a US campaign. Unfortunately I couldn’t find who created the campaign but from what i have read about it, its aimed more at the idea of stopping violence towards women. The message is still very relevant the issue I am covering. What street harassment comes down to is lack of respect for women. I think its great that there are campaigns out there aiming at young boys. If boys are brought up with the correct views towards women its more lightly that they will grow up with the right attitudes.
Artist Jay Shells created several posters, after surveying people about their worst things on the subway system, Street harassment and being groped on the tube came up top. He hung 400 in stations all over New York City.
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
As my project idea came from my personal experiences with street harassment whilst living in Lambeth, I was happy to see there has been a anti harassment campaign in my area. It was relaunched at Christmas and aims to show men the difference between flirting and harassment. In Lambeth, there is one of the highest rates of rape and sexual violence in London with a 30% increase in reported rape in 2009/10 to 173 incidents – far higher than the London-wide increase. I’m so glad Lambeth see this as a problem and are trying to tackle;e it. “Flirting makes the receiver feel happy, excited and flattered. It can be a fun part of a night out. But when does flirting change and become hassling? Hassling can make a person feel degraded and scared. Harmless fun is just that - harmless fun. Wolf whistling, jeering and making sexually provocative comments can be threatening and make a woman feel at best irritated but also scared and vulnerable. This could be seen as criminal behaviour and you could be arrested and charged. Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual activity.”
DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?
I think this campaign could be really affective in making men think, I think if they see these posters it may lead the to be more self aware. London has an advantage when campaigns like this get up on the walls as with the tube people are often sat for a while with nothing to look at. This is a good opportunity for poster campaigns like this to sink in to the reader.
DEFINE
Stepping Stones My next step is to pull out things from the concept challenge and further research, then merge any good ideas with my dominant idea.
+ Educating men from a young age maybe a really successful method as it is a hard task to undo years and years of poor opinions of women. I could adapt elements of my awareness campaign to be relevant to school boys. + A confessions box could work, if this campaign could make men see that there methods in approaching women are really far off, they may be keen to get admit there offences in order to get information on appropriate ways to meet women. However; from talking to a few street harassers I find them hard to communicate with and I don’t believe that many would realistically admit they are doing anything wrong. I think its important to remember this is an issue relevant to men and women, there for, a campaign with two sides (one aimed at men, and one aimed at women) may be the most successful method to cover all grounds.
A finalised concept for an awareness campaign; + There would be two sides to this Campaign, a series of elements aimed at men, and another at women. + They would both be designed in the same style to tie them together and both wear the same logo. + The mens side of the campaign would feature on mirrors and beer mats that would connect to the posters. The posters would be placed in male orientated areas, as mentioned before. The male side of the campaign would have more enforces than the women’s. + The female side of the campaign would have a series of posters and badges. The posters would be placed in areas such as ladies toilets and centres for venerable women. + The message on the female side of the campaign would be that to Look out for other women being street harassed and that it is not something that should be put up with.
CONCEPT 2
DOMINANT IDEA
A Publication Aimed at Women; An advantage of aiming my design solution at women would be that there is no risk of men reacting badly to the diagnosis of there behaviour. As it is women suffering with the problem it will be the women that will be more keen and open to trying solutions..
GOAL OF THIS CONCEPT;
)To improve women’s safety in dealing with street harassment. )To empower them to deal with the consequences. )To enhance the instinct of looking out for fellow ladies. )To make women feel they are not the only one suffering with this issue. )To approach the issue in a light hearted manner, but not to the extent that it under cuts the severity.
At this stage I am undecided as to what form this would take, potentially an illustrated zine. It will benefit myself to mould my outcome to my interests within design, mine of which is illustration. This idea would create a good opportunity for me to push and showcase my illustration skills. NEXT STEP; )Look at similar publications )Develop the content ideas. )Consider how easily I can source my content DEFINE )Think about how the style can draw in readers.
DELVE
Feministic Zine Riot Grrrl Riot Grrrl was a radical feminist movement that sparked in the early 90’s. Riot Grrrl activists self-published DIY fan zines as the main medium to express their voices. They touched on feminist issues, among them body image, sexual harassment, rape, homosexuality and female empowerment. - There is still a lot that goes on in homage to Riot grrrl, I found a designer who makes feminist fan zines with a strong feminist message (pictured below)
Illustrated Zine In The Style Of A Graphic Novel This illustrated story booklet by Esther Pearl Watson is a good example of an illustrated booklet. Although the style isn’t that similar to mine I would like to create a publication with a heavy enforces on illustration, like this one. I am weary though as to how successful this would be as a medium for communicating facts and advise.
Illustrative Content Proto-Types. A collection of illustrations showcasing the different kinds of street harassers, for instance; + The Chav + The Old Enough To Be Your Dad + The Old Enough To Be Your Grandad + The Tramp + The Sleazy Waiter + The Business man that should know better + The ‘I’ve Come To Sort Your Pipes Out’ Builder
Feministic Images
There are probably many more images I could draw on this subject, however I am not convinced as to how much a publication of this nature could really help solve the problem. I think this concept would need further development if I where to make this my final idea.
POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF DESIGNING A ZINE AS A SOLUTION; POSITIVES: ) Cheap to produce ) Could attract interest in young women ) A good platform for illustration ) The informality of a zine could communicate with young women well
NEGATIVES:
) Not the best medium to get facts across ) Women who have had bad experiences may not react well to the informalness of a zine ) A bit of a basic out come ) Has been done before. I don’t believe a zine is the best platform to put across my message. I still want to produce a publication but I believe a more refined booklet holding more information would be more suitable. I don’t want my outcome to resemble a feministic stab at a men hating zine. In conclusion; I feel a booklet would be more appropriate.
CONCEPT 2 -REFINED My publication would take the form of a booklet. I would illustrate it but it would still hold a lot of information for women. - My target audience is female students studying in London It would contain the following;
+ An outline of the issue + Examples of experiences of street harassment from
girls.
+ How to react to street harassers + How its not the fault of the girl or what they are
wearing
+ How to deal with it safely + Where they can find more information -
As said before, there is a massive body of information and advice online, its just not an issue that gets much attention.
Target audience, why aim it at students?
I want to aim this publication at young women, i feel that this issue is particular relevant to people that are new to London. Thousands of students move to London each year to study and I feel female students would be good to target this concept at.
DEFINE
Error Analysis;
It is a good point at this stage to identify any possible problems that may be present with this idea. + This is not a particularly original idea, a booklet is a pretty standard method for delivering information. + I have poor literacy skills, if my outcome relies heavily on creating effective wording and use of language it may not turn out as a great quality.
DOMINANT IDEA
THE PERV CARD;
for lack of a better name. A method of communicating the message to men. When a street harasser approaches a girl on the street and insists on getting her number; this is when the perv card comes into play. One side of the card will look like this;
The front of the card will look like the above imagine, a space is provided for the girl to write her own made up number on. She can then pass this card onto the street harasser and he should feel satisfied he has been given her number. BUT its not her number... When the card is turned over it reveals further information...see next slide.
Concerns; + The street harasser thinking the number is real and
ringing it, and who ever the number on it belongs to there will revive annoying phone calls. So maybe the card should come with one fake number on already? Maybe with an ultimated response?
+ Safety; This idea will have to come with a strong
disclaimer, e.g use your judgement and common sense. If the man seems threatening this is not a good idea etc.
The Back;
Potential copy for the back of the card; it could either be something that tells them straight away what they have done wrong, or keep them unaware of wha’ts happening. I think with the first option the men may be unlikely to be open to further information etc and they could become defensive.
Chatting up girls on the street makes you seem desperate and pervy. If you really want some female attention try a more conventional method.
Your a street harassing pervert, repent on twitter; @imapervert
Approaching woman on the streets is not an affective form of pic up. However good looking you are, or think you are, you need to reassess your pulling techniques visit; www.-------------.com for further advise.
Approaching girls you don’t know on the street can appear intimidating and threatening. Even if you don’t mean it in that way. Please find other ways to find a girlfriend.
CONCEPT CHALLENGE
Key findings;
I will admit that on this occasion I struggle to pull much concept gold from this concept challenge, but a few things could be plausible;
+ Having men that don’t harass women work on promoting this idea may be a good tool, as it could help to move this idea away from an attack on the male species.
+ Making a more versatile
card that could be given to men generally to educate them on the issue, this could stop it before it happens.
INTERACTING WITH THE STREET HARASSERS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE
Riot grrl, as i have mentioned in previous slides, was a feministic punk movement in the 90’s. These two images above show some the messages that they promoted. I think these are great. The ‘WHY DO YOU HONK AT ME’ would work great as a flyer on a car windscreen wiper, that is a way of getting my work out there that i had not thought of.
DELVE
Flirt Divert;
I have managed to find very little amounts of things that are given to men by girls that have been harassed. This may mean my idea is original, or it may mean there is a reason it hasn’t been done much...
On BBC radio one Scott Mills runs a feature called flirt divert. He provides listeners with a number that they can hand out to people who show them unrequited interest. The number then goes through to radio one and they play the best examples on air. This is a similar idea to if I was to put a false number on the card. It can be used as a decoy for the guys that are not seen as potential suitors. I think theres something desireable about seeing an idea through ; e.g getting to listen to the messages the diverted guy leaves. This leads me to think how I could get the men to interact. With social networks being at an all time high something like twitter could be effective.
PROTOTYPING
I have begun to explore this concept further by prototyping ways in which I could bring this ‘card’ to life. I see it may be hard to distribute the cards but with a poster explaining what it is, it could be possible. Getting an idea designed further like one of the prototypes above may be a good way to see if the idea could be a successful one. Perhaps I could put a couple up and monitor weather the cards get taken or not? My next step will be to finalise the message that will be on the back of the card.
Key points on concept 3 + It is important that the card sends men to visit a website. I don’t believe a discouraging message will be enough to make
any impact.
+ Once the man visits the website its key to remember that he will not be keen to absorb information on the website. He will
probably feel like women are trying to discipline him for being what he may consider to be ‘normal man behaviour’.
+ I feel the most effective form of content for the website will be a film. This will take minimal effort from the man to watch
and a well thought out film could get a message across to him in a more original way than expecting him to read through a website.
How will men be encouraged to the website from the card? + The website will be printed on the back of the card.
At this stage I am unsure as to what will be the most effective copy to have on the reverse of the card.
+ Idea 1 states what the card is about, it will make
men think about what they have done, but will that make them be unlikely to visit the website?
1.
Approaching woman on the streets is not an affective form of pic up. However good looking you are, or think you are, you need to reassess your pulling techniques visit; www.-------------.com for further advise.
+ Idea 2 is almost a form of trickery to get the man to
visit the website, alluring them to the website almost under false pretences.
Look me up online at... WWW.--------------.COM
+ As i said before I am unsure which idea would be more effective, I intend to ask other people what they think, particularly boys.
2.
I asked 10 boys what they thought of the two potential ideas for the back of the card; 8 agreed that it should be the second option; the reasoning was that men won’t got on the website voluntarily and the idea of leading them to believe there might be something else on the website would be more successful. So option two it is. After some careful consideration I have decided to call the website; www.the-one-that-got-away.com I feel this is slightly suggestive but with an air of mystery. The next step will be do generate a concept for the film, as mentioned above I feel a film is the best medium to deliver the message to men.
Key things to consider with a film; + Time and how advance my film making skills are (not particularly- or rusty) + Effective ways to get the message across in a strong manner, e.g get more than one girl to contribute, holding up signs? + Want to get the point across without making men feel annoyed. + Make sure the film is efficient in getting men to see from the girls point of view. + Get the point across with minimal rambling.
Films on Street Harassment Walking home
This is an experimental film directed by Nuala Cabral. It focuses on women facing street harassment as they walk home. Its shot in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Walking Home attempts to question and disrupt the acceptance around these normalized, everyday interactions. This film was screened to young people in schools and community programs. It has lead to much necessary dialogue on this issue and also surrounding issues such as violence, sexuality and self esteem. In March Cabral organized Philadelphia’s First Annual International Anti Street Harassment Day. Nearly twenty young people took to the streets to engage our community in dialogue around this issue.
“I found this problem fascinating and disturbing, and as a filmmaker, I felt compelled to respond.” Nuala Cabral
To watch this film;
CLICK HERE
Stills taken from the film, Walking Home
Pascale Neuschäfer Stop Street Harassment Campaign
Pascale Neuschäfer is a filmmaker and an actress from Capetown, South Africa. She made the promo with the help of her partner and friends who showed an interest in gender rights issues. Neuschafer had become frustrated at the frequency with which street harassment occurs and the fact that women are expected to ignore it. She felt that making a film was an outlet for her, and felt that someone need to say; Women hate being harassed on the street. To watch extracts from the film and further content on the subject of street harassment, particulary in Cape town. Click the link below.
CLICK HERE
Stills taken from Pascale Neuschäfer’s film
Story Boarding
After some consultation with the Mind Map I created a story board. The image at the bottom was my first attempt but I felt there needed to be a definition in place so that men could see there selves in this example. The term ‘harassment’ sounds quite sinister and I belive many men would be unaware that they commit it.
Above is an example of the style of text in which I plan to animate simply to communicate the message and keep the viewer interested.
DELIVER
A Concept Overview
I decided the ‘perv-card’ or the harass-prevention card - as i have renamed it, is the most original idea. I feel the multimedia campaign won’t utilise my skills and interests in illustration. I was keen to push the idea of the booklet/ zine for women forward and intend to combine it wil my harass-prevention card. The publication aimed at women will host the card, this will enable me to give appropriate information for women with the card and explain the idea in full. The card will navigate street harassers to a website where they can watch a film showing them the implications of there behaviour.
The flow diagram on the right shows the process of my chosen concept. I will be designing the following; + An illustrated booklet to summarize the key points that are relevant to girls. This will introduce the card and explain how to use it. + I will then create a website to host the film which will be aimed at men and that will be my overall solution to the problem of street harassment. Empowering women by giving them guidance and a method for dealing with the harassment. The film will then offer a platform for men to realise what is wrong with there behaviour. I believe this will be the most effective out come as it covers all corners of the issue.
Things that could go wrong with my chosen concept;
+ Girls may not feel confident to use the card. + May struggle to keep it in an accessible place, e.g many people don’t like getting there purses out on the streets of London; a pocket would be a more reliable place of storage. + Men may take it the wrong way; a strong disclaimer will be with the card. e.g use your judgement, if you feel a man may be threatening, don’t use it. + men may not bother to visit the website or watch the film all the way through. + If it were successful men may get to know the card approach and know what it means when a girl pulls one out. With every idea or concept there will be potential problems, I think its a good idea to foresee what problems could possibly showcase them selves. This means I can bear them in mind whilst designing my concept and try to ensure I can prevent from occurring best I can.
BOOKLET PROTO-TYPES
Folded from one sheet of A4 paper, card aplied to front. Pros; small enough to be pocket size and could be used as a method for storing the card. Cons; To small for the information it needs to hold.
Folded from one sheet of A3, Pros; economical for paper Cons; Slightly awkward size
from folded sheets of paper, bounded by stitching. The size folded is postcard size. Pros; Better size for the information but still a bit small for information + illustrations, I think it needs to be A5. Binding it by stitch is worth the extra effort as it looks more tidy. Cons; still to small.
BOOKLET PROTO-TYPES
A scaled down idea for tear out cards, might be easier to print and distribute in bulk but maybe not make the cards as desirable and they may appear less usable.
The image on the left is a booklet made from A4 sheets folded into A5. It has been bound with stitching. Pros; A much better size, will easily contain the information necessary and there will be space to illustrate. It will also be easier to print. Cons: less easy to carry round as a means to hold the cards. Above Image; This is what the back page will be like, there will be a pocket containing the cards.
DETERMINE
The Outcome
Below; images of my final booklet.
This booklet contains information on the subject of street harassment, and how to deal with it whether its happening to you or a fellow lady. Keeping in mine my target audience of female students I kept the design light hearted and illustrated. Its quite a light read as I am aware that heavily worded booklets can sometimes put off readers. There is a small envelope on the back page which holds the ‘perv-prevention’ card.
The card is hosted in the pocket on the last page. The front of the card reads a false phone number, and the reverse has the URL of the website that hosts the film. When the man receives the card and texts or rings the number on the card, he will be diverted like so.... I carefully considered what the message should read and decided it shouldn’t mention street harassment directly as that may stop them from visiting the website. There is also a website at the back of the booklet where girls can order more cards if they wish.
The Website And Film www.the-one-that-got-away.com I have created a basic moc up of the website from a blog online, Click the image below to be taken to the website. I intended to keep the website basic as I wanted it to be very to the point with minimal distractions. Its lightly that men will maybe watch the video out of curiosity but I am sceptical that they will do any further reading. The website also hosts another short film that features girls talking on the street about how street harassment makes them feel.
Click Here
Further footage of girls speaking on the subject and more info Links to further websites on the subject The film.
The film expresses a clear message that street harassment is not a good move and it represents the consequences of it by girls holding up words describing how they have been made to feel by street harassment. I feel its clear and simple. I see this a proto-type, if I was to produce a more developed version of this film I feel the message would be made stronger by the girls being on the street holding up signs. I would also experiment with type further, I would how ever be keen to maintain the simplicity. Originally I thought I would have video clips of girls talking about the subject but after some experimentation I felt that use of sign age was a short cut to getting in the guys heads.
Conclusion Of The Issue When I began this project I was unaware of the term ‘Street Harassment’ although it is something I have had a lot of experience in, I was ignorant to the enormity of the issue. As much as I knew it affected most of the girls and women I know, but I had no idea that it was such a big problem, in so many countries. I found some of the things that have been said to girls in my area to be really shocking, I find it hard to comprehend how men have the confidence to say such things to girls they don’t know. From my research I uncovered a massive body of resources for women and girls to get advise and information, but I identified a gap that means not many people know about these resources. Street harassment is not a problem that can be easily solved as it is down to the individual offender to make changes in his views and behaviour. The natures of the men that commit street harassment doesn’t seem to be a very self aware one. Unfortunately this makes getting through to them more of a challenge. I came across a few growing movements and organisations which I am sure, with time, will create a big impact on this social issue. Overall I think the best presumption I can make is that this problem could die out with generations. With education and schools improving I feel this will help the over all issue.
Evaluation Of The Project
Overall I found this project an enjoyable experience. Research is probably one of my weakest areas within design and I feel completing this research based project had helped to improve my skills. I found the thinking methods advised to be very helpful. I believe breaking the project up into different stages helped me work more efficiently. I also found it enjoyable to have a long period on one project as I was able to gain a strong knowledge on my subject matter. I feel my outcome has achieved what I personally wanted to. I wanted to use my illustration skills and give them a purpose. I also wanted to push other skills forward which I also believe to have done. A skill I have been trying to work on for as long as I can remember is my time management. On this occasion however I introduced a reasonable amount of planning (still room for improvement) which has helped me keep on track with my productivity and work within my personal restrictions. I plan to show my project to the NUS women’s campaign next week to hopefully receive feedback which I can apply to my outcomes in order for them to look there best in my portfolio.
Bibliography Websites http://stfucatcallers.tumblr.com/ http://feministresources.tumblr.com/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/06/sister-actwomen-on-harassers http://slutmeansspeakup.org.uk/ http://ldn.ihollaback.org/ http://101wankers.tumblr.com/ http://www.reclaimthenight.org http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/97ph.html http://globalvoicesonline.org/ http://howmanywomen.tumblr.com/ http://riotgrrrrrrl.tumblr.com/ http://www.xojane.com/relationships/true-tales-street-harassment-and-my-anger-issues http://feministing.com http://selondonzines.wordpress.com/ http://respectwomen.ca http://www.alongwalkhome.org/ http://www.stopstreetharassment.org http://www.streetharassmentproject.org/ http://dinglespeaks.com/2011/03/01/women-only-carriages/ http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/films/walking_home http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/just-smack-ass-talesexual-assault-vengeance-and-nervous-swearing
Books Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters // Jessica Valenti Take your tounge out of my mouth I am kissing you goodbye // Cynthia Heimel Hey, Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets //Joanne Smith //Meghan Huppuch // Mandy Van Deven Back Off: How to Confront and Stop Sexual Harassment and Harassers // Martha Langelan He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut…and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know (2008)//Jessica Valenti