#3 (#CancelStreetHarassment)

The challenge: #CancelStreetHarassment

The normalization of street harassment exercised in public spaces has affected the lives of two out of three women in the world according to The World Health Organization. This problem goes beyond countries and is an attack on human rights removing the possibility for societies to develop a state of respect. It is important for women to speak up, making the perpetrator understand what he is doing, but how can we as a society, as a third party get involved by taking action when we witness this type of harassment? How can we support women so that they can finally walk through the streets peacefully?

Our solution:

We propose the movement "# 3"

The idea is to promote the intervention of third parties when they witness street harassment. The proposal is to create a sign of 3 with the hand (with the thumb, index, and middle finger extended and the others have drawn up) where victims can signalize to any bystander that they need help, so they know they must take action. For example: Walking alongside the victim, document critical details of how and where the harassment happened, or even to speak up for the victim by saying the phrase: “This space is public, her body is not”.

Sustainability

By uniting and empowering victims and witnesses, offering volunteering for a good cause, and raising awareness we can ensure continued support of the movement. The creation and distribution of merchandise with the movement’s symbol would be a source of funding for anti-harassment campaigns and donated to relevant fundraisers to promote tangible change.

Scalability

This movement has the potential of reaching the whole world through social media. However, transforming it into an international NGO will make it easier to have a bigger impact on local communities. The movement will engage itself in being responsible with its stakeholders and can be transformed into a merchandise store that will have a moral responsibility with the environment. It will be a compromise from the beginning to follow countries' laws and create value in our products.

Innovation potential

The solution is new because it is simple and accessible to anyone in the world. Through this campaign, we can reach a large audience without much investment or causing harm to the environment. After the sign has gone viral, the movement we proposed would be internationally-understood and can be signaled by almost everyone. In a dangerous situation, taking out a cell phone and asking for help is not easy, or for example, if a stalker is close to you, the actions that the victim can do to be safe are limited, so the sign with the hand is an international and way easy to hide to ask for help. It does not have a language barrier.

The AFS angle: Global Competence Development

As we examine local, global, and intercultural issues we must take action for collective well-being and sustainable development. Our angle is: “Women empowerment” based on the SDGs Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, specifically in the care of their integrity and their social inclusion and participation.

Social Value

As a matter of Human Rights, it expands people's ability to be in public. People affected by street harassment will be able to leave their home, work, or school without the fear of being harassed, giving them access to opportunities, a variety of free-time activities, and community, resulting in increased quality of life of said individuals. People are more likely to cultivate new relationships and participate in their communities if they feel safe in their environment.

Implementation

The movement’s power comes from engagement and that is why it is crucial to influence and inspire everyone who we can reach. This can be achieved by setting up social media accounts like Instagram and TikTok under the movement’s name and launching campaigns to popularize the hand sign, give simple tutorials on how to intervene, and encourage witnesses of street harassment to take action.