Monday, March 4, 2013

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Public Spaces and Gender Survey

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 10:51 PM PST

06.52

We are hoping to live blog from the Public Spaces and Gender launch of findings this morning!  Follow us on twitter #wsjcu

Background here: http://www.womensviewsonnews.org/?p=108597

61% of survey respondents were sexually harassed in public spaces in Coventry http://bit.ly/102hUEW #wsj

 

Women, safety and public spaces

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 10:45 PM PST

CWV logoSurvey reveals scope and effects of sexual harassment of women in Coventry.

Nearly 40 per cent of women who responded to a survey about sexual harassment in public spaces do not feel safe on the streets of Coventry, according to findings from  Coventry Women's Voices and Coventry University.

The survey findings were launched at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry on 3 March.

The survey ran from October 2012-January 2013 , and asked women in Coventry about their experience of harassment in public places.

Nearly 200 women responded, with 61 per cent reporting incidents of harassment within the past 12 months.

Types of harassment experienced included wolf whistling, unwanted sexual comments and groping, with the majority – 59 per cent – of incidents occurring on the street.

The findings showed that the reaction of the majority of women was to simply ignore the harassment, despite how it made them feel, for fear of reprisal or escalation.

The comments of 19 per cent of the women who reported that they had challenged harassment when it occurred validate this fear, and they received threats of violence, further insults, and being punched or hit.

Respondents who usually challenge it said this has led to threats of violence, including rape, anger, scorn and increased harassment.

Only 4 per cent of the women reported any harassment to the police.

The main reason given for not doing so was that they did not think they would be taken seriously or that they had reported harassment in the past and had been ignored.

The online survey was followed by interviews with a number of participants.

These interviews revealed that most of the women started experiencing harassment when they were in their early teens. Some were as young as ten when they were first harassed.

The harassment caused  women to feel unsafe in public places, with most of those interviewed limiting their behaviour in some way because of their fear of harassment or attack.

This ‘limiting’ included avoiding certain areas, not going out on their own and driving rather than using public transport.

One interviewee said: “It's ok for (my husband) to go out in the dark or to walk somewhere, but it's not ok for me to do that.

“And it's just normal at the moment isn't it? And it's not fair – it shouldn't be like that. Why can’ I go outside and not feel safe?”

Speaking at the launch of the findings author Jane Osmond of Coventry University said: “Harassment – whether wolf whistling, shouted comments, or groping – has a major impact on women's lives.

“Most of us alter our behaviour because of fear of harassment.

“And none of us know when a comment can escalate into a physical attack.

“Men may think 'it's just a bit of fun' but for women on the receiving end it can be devastating, affecting their confidence, where they go and what they do.”

Coventry City Councillor Ann Lucas, who represents the Council on the Community Safety Partnership, said: “This important report highlights the widespread problem of harassment experienced by women every day in Coventry.

“As a council we have an important role to play in making sure that women feel safe everywhere in the city.

“This involves everything from taking a firm view of developments at the planning stage through lighting and other design features to making sure that the Community Safety Partnership recognises tackling harassment as a priority.“

The international movement Stop Street Harassment says that around the world between 70-100 per cent of women have experienced some form of harassment in public.

This harassment can include anything from leering, wolf-whistling and sexual comments to groping, masturbation and assault.

Last year, in the lead up to the London Olympics, a YouGov poll published by the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) revealed that over a quarter of women living in London feel unsafe when using public transport.

This London report inspired Coventry Women’s Voices to find out the state of affairs in Coventry.

So what would help women feel safer?

When asked, a third of women in the Coventry survey said that an attitude change to sexual harassment in the public and the judiciary is vital.

Another third would like to see a larger police presence and a quarter more street lighting.

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands Yvonne Mosquito, who attended the launch event said: “As Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, women's safety is a priority for me and it is important that everybody has the confidence to report crimes to the police in the knowledge that they will be taken seriously.”

The full report will be published during international Anti-Street Harassment Week in April.