When I was in sixth grade, I had to walk a long way home from the bus stop. A few times, men followed me. I ran to a store so they wouldn’t know where I lived. A high school junior in Virginia told me this when I visited her class last week to talk about […]
Author: Holly Kearl
Holly Kearl is an anti-street harassment expert, writer, and nonprofit professional based in the Washington, D.C. area. Her work has been cited by the United Nations, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, the Guardian, ABC News, NPR, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire Magazines, Feministing, and Jezebel.
The Invisible War of Military Women
The Invisible War, a new documentary from Kirby Dick, is pulling back the curtain on sexual assault in the military — a rampant problem with devastating consequences.
Want to Stop Sexual Harassment at Work? First Stop it in School!
Sexual harassment allegations by four women against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain have made the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace headline news. What many people may not realize is that such harassment is a widespread problem in middle and high schools, too. During the 2010-11 school year, nearly 48 percent of students in […]
For Spring Equinox: A Global Call to End Catcalls
During a recent warm spell across the United States, I immediately noticed an increase in Tweets and Facebook posts about unwelcome catcalls. I experienced it, too. On the warmest day I wore shorts during my daily run and men in a car whistled and hooted at me. Until then, weeks of cold had kept car […]
Lara Logan and Egypt’s Next Revolution
Last Friday, soon after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced he would leave office, a group of men in Cairo beat and sexually assaulted American CBS reporter Lara Logan, after separating her from her crew. What happened is an outrage. But it doesn’t surprise me. There are men everywhere who use sexual harassment and assault as a […]
Where in the World Can Women Feel Safe?
Last spring, I stumbled across information about the Third International Conference on Women’s Safety: Building Inclusive Cities which is taking place this week. Street harassment activism and working on solutions for ending it is my passion, and I immediately contacted the organizers to find out more. Once I confirmed that the conference would be exactly […]