Thousands of women in seven Caribbean countries participated in the #ReclaimOurStreets march of regional solidarity on March 11, 2017 as part of the #LifeInLeggings movement which started with the sharing of stories on social media. We celebrated the success of Tambourine Army’s Survivor Empowerment March and its positive impact on women and girls in Jamaica. … Continued
“Everyone ready? Everyone’s in place?” Alicia Wallace, Director of Hollaback! Bahamas, inquires. “Then let’s go!” Instantly, the Urban Renewal band picks up their gear and prepares to hit the road for what would turn out to be the most adventurous day. The brass section licks off the tune of Julien Believe’s “Live And Whine” and … Continued
As a woman walking around the city alone at night, there’s not much you can do if some creep decides to follow you around and harass you. But many women try to find a way to deal with feeling unsafe – to project an aura that will stop the harassment from happening. A brisk and … Continued
“How are girls and women treated by men in different countries? What must women do to protect themselves?” These are some of the questions posed by Malaka Gharib to women in seven countries including Afghanistan, The Bahamas, and South Africa. She wrote about the ways women in different countries experience street harassment and how they … Continued
Hey, y’all! Alicia from the Hollaback! Bahamas team here. I started to make a Facebook post, but thought I should share it here. I experience street harassment every single time I leave my house. If I’m out, it happens. Multiple times per day. I intentionally limit the amount of times and the amount of … Continued
Did you read Small Islands and Good Manners Part I? It explored the cultural norms of The Bahamas that seem to dictate that strangers interact with one another, whether or not it makes one of them uncomfortable. People appear to be resistant to acknowledging or understanding changes in society which either put women and girls … Continued
Street harassment is largely viewed as a minor inconvenience – if that – to be dealt with by women. Many fail to see it as a threat, an act of violence, an interrupter, a part of rape culture, or the compromise of safety in public spaces. Too often, we talk about street harassment as though … Continued
A lot of times, when we talk about street harassment, people tell us it’s a cultural thing. We maintain that the only culture it’s a part of is rape culture. Street harassment takes place everywhere, without exception. This is made evident by the 90 cities with Hollaback! sites, and the thousands of stories we have … Continued
The Bahamas has seen a significant increase in inappropriate material sharing. The Bahamian public has been clamoring for what they deem to be scandalous, entertaining, and funny. Very few people acknowledge that sharing material such as sex tapes is a criminal act. Many social media users beg their friends and followers to send them the latest … Continued
We just had to say it again, a few more times. Sex is not rape. The statement by the Bahamas Christian Council was so disturbing that we had to respond to it again. This time, we did it in the Stop Street Harassment blog. The difference between sex and rape is clear. Sex requires consent … Continued