The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL media and mobile technology has been popularly used in modern times to promote many causes and positive movements. Now a new local organisation is using the considerable power of the medium to start its own campaign to put an end to street harassment.

The Hollaback! group in the Bahamas is encouraging victims of street harassment, particularly women, to bring each incident to light by documenting and sharing their experiences with others on social media.

Hollaback! is a movement powered by a network of local activists around the world. The group of activists work together to better understand street harassment, ignite public conversations and develop innovative strategies to ensure equal access to public spaces.

Hollaback! exists throughout 25 countries in the world. According to a statement on the organisation’s website, “Street harassment is one of the most pervasive forms of gender-based violence and one of the least legislated against. However, it is rarely reported and culturally accepted as ‘the price you pay’ for being a woman or for being gay.”

Ternielle Burrows of Hollaback!, widely known as Bahamian entertainer TaDa, told Tribune Woman that the movement asserts the fact that women have the right to feel safe, confident and sexy without being objectified.

“We are trying to remind people, young women in particular, that they are better than street harassment and we are confident there is power to eventually bring an end to harassment through Hollaback! So it is kind of a play on that terminology. Instead of just being the recipient of harassment, we can say, ‘Stop, it is not appropriate to call after me like a dog’,” she said.

“We encourage ladies or anyone who experiences street harassment to Hollaback! at comments such as ‘hey baby’, ‘nice tits’, groping, stalking, and touching. Even in certain places you see incidents of public masturbation which is just lewd, and we do not want it to get to that point in the Bahamas. Essentially, some women might decide to video tape as they are being harassed and post it to the website. A woman might post to the website sharing her experience and calling out her harasser.”

Though the movement has not been officially launched in the Bahamas, members of Hollaback! made their presence felt on Rawson Square last week when they banned with members of Citizens For A Better Bahamas for a peaceful protest entitled “Domestic Violence is No Laughing Matter”.

The two groups came together to urge Prime Minister Perry Christie to apologise for Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller’s comments in which he joked about abusing a former girlfriend.  

Ms Burrows said Mr Miller’s apology was not enough and more action must be taken by the country’s leader to reassure the Bahamian public of the government’s stance in regards to domestic violence.

“During the protest we stated that we do not feel as though we should accept the comments made in the House of Assembly on February 20, 2014. Those comments were not denounced immediately and stricken from the record by the Speaker of the House, and the response of laughter from many of those present was severely disappointing. As the official leader of the Bahamas, we think it appropriate that the Prime Minister, who was also present, speak out on behalf of the others. The government and our elected officials should be held accountable for the responses of laughter and subsequent silence on the issue. This statement needs to be televised and widely published through local media. This issue needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency for those that are made to feel that violence is a laughing matter to our leaders,” Ms Burrows said.

Through various efforts, the Hollaback! organisation seeks to bring an end to gender-based violence as well.

As it relates to street harassment, Ms Burrows said the movement is also about getting bystanders to participate.

“If you see someone being harassed you should chime in and say, ‘Hey, that’s inappropriate. Keep it moving. Leave them be’. Unfortunately, it has been so widely accepted that we do not think that it can lead to more violent encounters,” she said.

“One of the most extreme stories I heard recently was someone who said, ‘When I was about 16 years old I was walking in my school uniform and a man said hello to me and I did not reply’. The stranger went on to beat up this young lady, who no longer lives in the Bahamas. She did not get to see the perpetrator’s face because he attacked her from behind and she was caught off guard by the whole incident. I asked her if she had reported it to the police and she said she did. Apparently the police officer went on to ask her, ‘Well, why didn’t you say hi back?’”

Ms Burrows said incidents as such should never happen to anyone. She believes as the Hollaback! movement catches on there will be a decrease in street harassment.

“If you are guy and you see someone on the road, you will think twice about harassing them if you know they will call you out on it, post the video and/or reveal your picture publicly.

“The only thing that I should say to any stranger on the street or have them say to me is, ‘Hello’, ‘Good morning, ‘Good afternoon’ or ‘Good evening’. That’s it. No further dialogue is owed to anyone. We are not here for the entertainment of others. We are not here for their entertainment,” Ms Burrows said.

“Social media has been a vital tool because we have had local artists and international personalities reiterating the sentiments of the movement, such as Pricilla Rollins, Tanya Stephens and Ronnie Butler. These sorts of public service announcements that we are promoting on social media have been getting and overwhelming support, particularly from young women. They are helping to continue the dialogue on these issues.”