I wonder how Richard Dawkins would see this – as an example of something he cares passionately about, or as an example of something women should just put up with because there are worse things?
“May God protect you and your family,” it begins. Perhaps not considered harassment to some, but to the women who experience it daily, the intent is obvious. “I want to know you.” “Good Morning.” “What nice eyes. “Nice body.” “Let’s have lunch together.” Yemeni women are used to hearing phrases like these the second they step away from their homes.
Some women have become accustomed to such harassment and see it as an inevitable but minor daily annoyance. For others, it can be emotionally exhausting, leading them to change the kind of clothing they wear, the route they take to school or work, and the transport they take to get there.
Street harassment is not limited to Yemen, but is a world-wide phenomenon. The blame for harassment is often put on women instead of the male perpetrators.
It’s a world-wide phenomenon. Hmm. So is the solution to the Dawkins Dilemma to decide it’s bad when it happens in Yemen, India, Egypt and the like, and harmless when it happens in the US? (It’s not clear to me what Dawkins’s view is of UK women who complain of harassment. Are they bad because not Yemeni, or good because not American? I don’t know. He did specify it’s American women who make him impatient, but maybe that’s because the reporter he was talking to is American and he wanted to be polite.)
Whether the harassers believe their behavior is acceptable or not, they know they can easily get away with it. Men are often excused for bad behavior, with some people reasoning that it’s simply ‘the way men are,’ while women are held responsible.
That’s true in a number of areas. That too is not limited to Yemen.
While teenagers are a major source of harassment directed towards women, middle-aged men are by no means exempt. Even children sometimes harass women in the streets.
Rawan, an 18-year-old high school student, said while she was walking in the street, a child, who she guessed was around the age of 12, approached her and said “Let’s have lunch together today.”
On the other side of the age spectrum, Lamia, a 22-year-old Sana’a University student in the Faculty of Arts, notes there are also a lot of middle-aged harassers. Lamia said she felt most afraid of this demographic compared to young men because they often say more obscene words and can be more persistent.
As the famous Yemeni proverb says, “what you don’t accept for your sister, don’t accept for others.”
While there are notable organizations in Yemen promoting women’s rights, there is a lack of effort towards discouraging and solving the issue of verbal harassment in the streets. At least that is Abdu, a pharmacist thinks. “I call on civil organizations, the media, policy makers, and the security personnel to join in solidarity with this issue,” she said.
I wonder how many famous Yemeni men there are telling reporters how impatient they get with Yemeni women complaining of street harassment when there are women in Mali who can’t even afford to buy a burqa.
Most likely Dawkins would ignore it since any answer he gives will make him look bad. I guess it’s possible he could go full conservative and accuse you of setting a trap for him to try to get him to say something awful. Funny how those that make that accusation never stop to consider that the trap only works because their opinions are in fact awful.
Why are these women complaining about street harassment when the girls kidnapped by Boko Harem aren’t home yet? Why aren’t they just going home to put on a burqa and making sure they’re always accompanied by a male relative?
I’d just like to point out how similar ” “Let’s have lunch together.” is to “Wanna go back to my room for coffee.” Is that the sound of springs in Dawkins’ brain popping or is it just the vertebrae in his neck cracking because he’s turning his head so fast to ignore this whole issue?
When I read that it feel like the result of predatory behavior. Excessive interest with, especially with a physical connection, by large numbers of people is a thing. It makes one feel like a thing to be acquired instead of a person. If the person of interest can’t tell why people are interested that is a reason for distrust and concern.
But some Yemeni women like street harassment, right? They’re being complimented! That’s why they wear their sexiest burkas. Men just being men and women just being women. Spontaneous! Carefree! Rule-free! Delightful! But what do the anchors at Fox News’ affiliate in Sana’a think?
Harassment? Pfft. Don’t you know there are people being killed in _______? Heck, there was once a Holocaust!! Until something reaches the level of the Holocaust, nobody should complain about anything! #Dawklogic
Men are often excused for bad behavior, with some people reasoning that it’s simply ‘the way men are,’ while women are held responsible.
And this is what frustrates the heck out of me. In India the trains have a couple of compartments reserved for women. So if any woman actually travels in the non reserved compartment and are groped, she “asked” for it and its her fault – And these views are held even by fairly young men and women. But I suppose it isn’t important because of I dont know its trivial compared to female infanticide or having some teacher teach creationism.
If the person of interest can’t tell why people are interested that is a reason for distrust and concern
This is an incredibly important concept. Unless the two people already have some basis for other-knowledge – they attend the same classes, watch the same sporting events at the same sports bar, have friends in common, etc. – then what we end up with is Richard Dawkins’ “icky new world” where, honestly, given progress and equal rights and etc., there should be NO REASON WHATSOEVER why a man shouldn’t just walk up to a complete stranger and suggest some hot anonymous sex, preferably RIGHT THERE IN PUBLIC!
What’s the point of progress and freedom if men can’t be free to suggest to complete strangers that they engage in sexual intercourse together – RIGHT NOW?? What sort of modern, feminist woman could *possibly* object to that scenario?? Why, they should WELCOME it!!
Because feminism O_O
Don’t get me wrong – Richard Dawkins WAS clear that women should have the same freedom to walk up to strangers and suggest some nice immediate stranger-sex. Why shouldn’t any thoroughly modern woman want to jump right on board this newfangled idea?
You feminists aren’t ALL prudish, bookish, man-hating maiden aunts, are you? [/sarcasm]
I am starting to think burqas aren’t such a bad idea. If you rammed them far enough and deep enough into some men’s mouths, they wouldn’t need to put their feet in there.