Street Harassment:
Simply by being in public, women can become the target of whistles,honks, sexually charged comments, masturbators, stalking, groping, and even murder.

Not only is this attention an invasion of privacy and probably annoying, it makes many women worried for their safety and feel unwelcome in public places. While women's perception of men's attention in public varies depending on factors like what the men are doing, the women's personal history with violence, and how safe they feel at the time, no woman wants to be insulted, groped, stalked, or assaulted. Many women don't want to be bothered period.

How can we make the streets safe and welcoming for women?

• Share your views and stories on the Stop Street Harassment blog.
• Read strategies and tactics for dealing with street harassment. Share your own.
• Read facts and statistics about street harassment from academic studies.
• Learn about the work of anti-street harassment activists on the resources and interviews pages. Share your activism experiences.

The Blame Game:
Over and over, women are blamed for the attention they receive because of the way they look or dress. Some men (and women) claim women like it and are asking for the attention (for examples, see comment postings on stories like this one and this one). Just because a woman is in public does not mean she wants to be commented on by strangers.

If a man can't keep from drooling or yelling disrespectful comments or keep his hands to himself when he sees a woman in public, he shouldn't be allowed to be public. The problem is HIM not HER.

How to Talk to Women in Public:
How should a man interact with a woman in public? Politely and repectfully.

Instead of whistling, honking or yelling something about the way she looks as a way of saying hi, treat her like a normal human being and actually say hello and smile or nod. If you want to meet or talk to a woman, follow a similar pattern. Say hello and if she says hello back and doesn't hurry away, try to politely start a conversation. Don't touch her or call her names. If she looks busy, distracted, or nervous, leave her alone! She may not have the time or inclination to talk right then. Don't be rude if she doesn't talk to you. You don't know her personal history or what's on her mind or her schedule. Be respectful of her as a human being.