Sexual Harassment

Post date: Mar 9, 2011 3:49:47 PM

Almost every woman has experienced sexual harassment at some point in her life. We’ve all heard about groping in crowded locations where an offender thinks he can get away with it, boys who rip off girl’s tops at community pools, and men who think a woman alone is looking for trouble. At work, American women are protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Offenses in other locations fall under state statues.

But what about the rest of the world? Recent events in Arab countries have allowed female reporters to vent about the abuse they’ve had to suffer while pursuing stories overseas. Men use groping and worse to intimidate the women there. They want to keep them off the streets and fearful. NOW members aren’t surprised it doesn’t matter what the women are wearing (veils) or how they are acting (purposeful walking). Sexual harassment is more about power than about sex.

We salute the women in Egypt who came to Laura Logan’s rescue, who braved Tahir square to participate in the Egyptian revolution, and who dare to share on Harassmap.org the locations of assaults..

Until every culture and society respects women, we cannot be free and equal citizens.