International Anti-Street Harassment Week

Today is the start of International Anti-Street Harassment Week.  Through this week activists throughout the world will be directing attention toward the problem of street harassment and highlight efforts to prevent it. Join PreventConnect and others  all over the world on April 12 for the Global Tweetathon using the hashtag #EndSH. A wide variety of graphics and tools to promote this week can be found at Meet Us On the Street: End Street Harassment‘s web site.

This week takes place during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to illustrate how street harassment and sexual assault are connected. Both fall on the same spectrum of gender violence and street harassment sometimes escalates into sexual violence. More importantly efforts to prevent street harassment contribute toward preventing sexual violence. For more on this connection listen to this 2012 PreventConnect podcast of Stop Street Harassment’s Holly Kearl or watch this video of Holly Kearl on Talking Back and Challenging Rape Culture.

International Anti-Street Harassment Week is organized by Stop Street Harassment with special co-sponsors National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Stop Telling Women to Smile, and Hollaback!