{"id":33544,"date":"2019-12-12T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T10:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=33544"},"modified":"2019-12-12T10:00:16","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T10:00:16","slug":"what-tube-harassment-is-really-like-on-the-london-underground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/what-tube-harassment-is-really-like-on-the-london-underground\/","title":{"rendered":"What \u2018Tube Harassment\u2019 is really like on the London underground"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We say Feminism is still progressing &#8211; but it&#8217;s time to question, is it? The Voice of London has had a chance to talk to Dr.Emily Falconer, the executive committee member of the Feminist for Women&#8217;s Studies Association (FWSA) for the U.K and Ireland to discuss the harassment status quo on the London Underground. And, we were able to hear <strong>her personal &#8216;combat&#8217; with the harasser<\/strong>. To find out more, listen to the podcast below or click <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-74740091\/what-tube-harassment-is-like-on-london-underground\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What &#039;Tube Harassment&#039; is like on London Underground by kimsehee97\" width=\"500\" height=\"400\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F726374011&#038;show_artwork=true&#038;maxheight=750&#038;maxwidth=500\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cI was late. Late for my job. So I was running towards the station. I was carrying my laptop, wearing a cross-bag, hurrying\u2026 It was a bit stressing, yes. But,\u00a0 It all seemed fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then, I saw a man who was walking up the stairs while I was going down. When we passed by each other, he turned himself around to face me and put his hand over my shoulder, touched my right breast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019m still not sure whether he was trying to grab the strap or my boob. I was in sheer confusion, looking at him directly in his eyes. But he just casually walked away, as if nothing\u2019s \u2018actually\u2019 happened. And, I had to walk away too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because I didn\u2019t want to ruin my day. This is my&#8230;I don\u2019t know&#8230;I lost count of it. But, at least, this wasn\u2019t the first time.\u201d said, Olivia &#8211; named for anonymity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a story of a twentysomething, Asian, woman, who\u2019s considered to be the most \u2018vulnerable\u2019 out of the \u2018vulnerable\u2019 minorities. \u201cImmediately after that, I was standing at the edge of the platform with a blanked face, blaming at the \u2018situation\u2019 for happening.\u201d Olivia shares, how powerless she felt when she stood at the very scene of the harassment. \u201c I didn\u2019t want to make a fuss\u201d. She closes her dry lips firmly, with a bit of faint sigh &#8211; it still pains her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-33545 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3000\" height=\"1687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1.png 3000w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-777x437.png 777w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-260x146.png 260w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-female-stat-1-120x67.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-33546 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3000\" height=\"1687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1.png 3000w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-777x437.png 777w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-260x146.png 260w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/11\/Chart-on-male-stat-1-120x67.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the British Transport Police\u2019s (BTP) latest information, the number of reported sexual harassment on women aged 13 and over has soared up by 90.7 per cent since 2014, over the four years. The statistic clearly leaves us all in shock, for how it\u2019s been left out from our attention. In addition to that, the number of sexual harassment on male aged 13 and over has been mildly increasing; yet, the quantity of sexual molestation reports on females and males appears to have an irreducible gap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides BTP\u2019s figures, there are some statistics showing that \u2018feminism\u2019 hasn\u2019t actually done much &#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-35864 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"449\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1.png 800w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1-120x300.png 120w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1-410x1024.png 410w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1-768x1920.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2019\/12\/Charity-Infographic_FINAL-1-614x1536.png 614w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The feminism &#8211; women demanding equity in social standing under gender-stratified society &#8211; has been in public dialogue since Harvey Weinstein has been exposed as a sexual molester in Hollywood. Not to mention Harvey Weinstein\u2019s prior sexual conducts on, countless, film stars and staffs, ordinary people started to see hidden molesters who are breathing near us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even though \u2018feminism\u2019 urged young women to protect themselves from the looming danger, when it gets to the actual moment, being harassed unexpectedly, \u201chead goes white.\u201d &#8211; Olivia describes it as \u2018white-out\u2019. Simply put, victims don\u2019t know how to fight back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cI don\u2019t think I ever learned how to take a shot back at the harasser. All I could think of was, just to walk away from there and not thinking about it.\u201d It comes to question, is it healthy? Is it healthy to bury those feelings in which you remember so vividly? Olivia points out how she is uneducated in combatting such situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0\u201cI hate how my hatred grows, being drawn into negativity and be hopeless of this social perception. I\u2019m sick of public assaulters and feminism, which doesn\u2019t stop me going through all these. I don\u2019t know how many girls would relate to me, but I had to have a say. We have far more to go.\u201d Olivia points a finger at the society\u2019s fogged vision in social services and leaves a question mark on feminism\u2019s \u2018actual\u2019 progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Olivia\u2019s not trying to call for pity. By putting her story out there, she believes, her side of the story would help more victims to open up.\u201cThrough this experience, it got me thinking, there should be more girls &#8211; or, boys &#8211; who\u2019ve gone through similar situations like mine and wish to come out.\u201d She then adds, \u201cit\u2019s time to fight back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Yet, seemingly, some made a pioneering step in opening up their side of the stories &#8211;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I was handed this by policemen at London Bridge this morning &#8211; how to report sexual harassment on the tube. Thought it was worth sharing&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LYJF2JBUQw\">pic.twitter.com\/LYJF2JBUQw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa Dombelina \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Dombelina) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Dombelina\/status\/838676251711766528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 6, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Okay I\u2019m sick of taking the tube. How can a man record me. Another stare at me. Now I\u2019m tired and another is staring at me. The harassment women experience is sickening.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 aisha (@aishajxj) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/aishajxj\/status\/1196913939482849281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 19, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This morning, I witnessed a particularly nasty example of sexual harassment on the tube. I\u2019ve seen this so many times before, but today it really got to me, particularly in the current climate (1\/ )<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Harriet Marsden (@harriet1marsden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/harriet1marsden\/status\/981826407868321792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 5, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Harassment on the tube is becoming way too common I swear. I don\u2019t get how people can watch this happen and stay silent. I had to walk with some girl and pretend I know her so that an idiot could leave her alone. Why can\u2019t you take no for an answer???<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aya Jaber\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\udde7 (@ayaajaberr) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ayaajaberr\/status\/1195784856522940416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Words: Kim Se Hee l Infographics: Kim Se Hee l Photo: Katie Purkis @\u00a0@kaatiejp\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We say Feminism is still progressing &#8211; but it&#8217;s time to question, is it? The Voice of London has had a chance to talk to Dr.Emily Falconer, the executive committee member of the Feminist for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":476,"featured_media":35994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,53,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activism","category-feminism-2","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/476"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}