We are a group of Year 11 girls who had worked together on the Relationship Matters project. We had the opportunity to develop our ideas about feeling safe and unsafe in our community. This is the story of what we did.
We circled places on a local map where we felt safe and unsafe.
We chose to film in our local park as this is a place that can be both safe and unsafe.
We collected footage and sound: our conversations, car horns, sirens, squeaky gates, laughter, footsteps, playing on the swings and roundabouts.
We filmed the movement and sound of ‘the ruler skirt’ that we made in our Relationship Matters Lunch-club
We watched the footage and projected images onto our faces, hands and stomachs using a mini-projector.
We created the poem, “Words Won’t Pin Me Down”.
Our short 5 minute film became part of a bigger film about where we live. This film is called GRAPHIC MOVES. We worked with professional film-makers, but you could easily make it yourself.
‘Graphic Moves’ has been shown in school assemblies, arts-based venues and events for people who work with children.
“It was really good making other kids aware of what girls go through – and it made us feel better”
“This was a life-changing experience – not just for ourselves, but for others”
WHAT IS STREET HARASSMENT?
“Gender-based street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on you in a public place without your consent and is directed at you because of your actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. It can include unwanted whistling, leering, sexist, homophobic or transphobic slurs, persistent requests for your name, number or destination after you’ve said no, sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, groping, sexual assault, and rape”.
Adapted from www.stopstreetharassment.org/about/what-is-street-harassment
WORDS WON'T PIN ME DOWN
You shouted something to me
and I wanted to fight back
I was too afraid because I
thought you would attack
Don’t judge me
Don’t rule me
Don’t read me
Don’t beep me
Until you’ve walked a mile
in my shoes
But even then
You’ll never know
What I’ve been through
Talk to me
Listen to me
Understand me
Feel what I feel
A conversation doesn’t
hurt nobody
In fact
It might make me
a little less angry
FEEL WHAT I FEEL
Listen to us read our poem here.
We submitted our story to the Women and Equalities Select Committee inquiries into sexual harassment in public places and sexual harassment and violence in schools.
hollaback! is an international movement to end harassment in public places.
Watch this powerful video from Imkaan and EVAW on young black and minority ethnic women in the UK speak out about sexual harassment in public places.
imkaan.org.uk
www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
Read about misogyny as a hate crime and the criminalisation of up-skirting
Download the case study here:
