THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS

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THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
THE STATE OF THE
WORLD’S GIRLS
    2 0 1 8
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
Unsafe
in the
       city
A research report
on girls’ safety
across five cities

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS REPORTS
                                                                                                         Madrid
                                                                                                         Capital of spain
                                                                                                         Population: 3.3 million1
                                                                                                         2017 saw a 7.8% rise in reports of
                                                                                                         sexual crimes compared with 2016.2
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Delhi
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Capital of India
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Population: 16 million5
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Crimes against women highest in India: 160.4 per
                                                                                                                                                                                                              100,000 women (national average is 55.22)6

Plan International first published The State of the World’s Girls
Report in 2007. The 2018 report on cities is the first in a new                                                                                                             Kampala
series that each year will examine the behaviours, attitudes                                                                                                                Capital of Uganda
and beliefs that limit girls’ freedom and opportunities in specific                                                                                                         Population: 1.5 million7
environments or sectors.                                                                                                                                                    In Uganda, 22% of women aged 15-49 have

                                                                                           Lima
                                                                                           Capital of peru
                                                                                                                                                                            experienced some form of sexual violence
                                                                                                                                                                            Every year more than one million women, across
                                                                                                                                                                            the country, are exposed to sexual violence.8
                                                                                           Population: 10 million3
                                                                                           In 2017, more than 1200 cases of
                                                                                           sexual violence were reported in Lima,
                                                                                           and 70% of the victims were girls
                                                                                                                                                                            Sydney
                                                                                           under 18 years old.4
                                                                                                                                                                            Australia
                                                                                                                                                                            Population: 5 million9
                                                                                                                                                                            In the 12 months to March 2018 the majority of New South Wales criminal
                                                                                                                                                                            incidents for major offences decreased, while sexual assault and other
                                                                                                                                                                            sexual offences increased.10

Contents
4        6                                                                                                                                12                                                                  24
    Foreword                                            Part 1 / Introduction: Unsafe in the City                                                  Part 2 / Free to Be research findings                                  Part 3 / Conclusion and
    By Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, Chief                  More people than ever before live in cities. For young women,                              Primary research based on thousands of individual                      recommendations
    Executive Officer, Plan International               cities are places of opportunity, but they also present multiple                           stories and reports across the five cities shows                       We call for specific actions to address
                                                        barriers to gender equality.                                                               girls and young women face relentless sexual                           three issues:

                                                   8    Methodology:
                                                                                                                                                   harassment and abuse.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  27      Behaviour change for men and boys
                                                        A mobile app reveals the experiences of girls and young women
                                                        Seize the moment:
                                                                                                                                              21   A common experience:
                                                                                                                                                   What happens to girls in every one of these cities             28      Girls’ participation in decision-making

                                                  10    Claiming the urban environment for girls and young women
                                                                                                                                              22   “This time I fought back”:                                     29      Enforcement of laws and policies on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          harassment and abuse
                                                                                                                                                   A personal story from Kampala

                                                                                                                                                                                                             30           Making cities safer:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Promising practice and programmes
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
4   THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018   UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                        5

                                          Foreword
                                           “For us there isn’t anything new [in this research]. The most important finding isn’t for us but for
                                          the world that you can see how insecure we feel. They harass us, they touch us, they do everything
                                                               to us. There is finally somewhere where it is written down.”
                                                                              YOUNG WOMAN, 21, REFLECTION WORKSHOP, MADRID.

                                          This is the purpose of our new report, Unsafe in               like, “Why was she alone in the dark?” and not, “Why
                                          the City. To shine a light on the relentless sexual            was he?”, let’s start by tackling the norms, attitudes,
                                          harassment and abuse that is the daily norm for so             beliefs, systems and structures that prevent girls from
                                          many young women and girls on our city streets.                achieving equality.
                                          Unsafe in the City is the first in a new series of the State
                                                                                                         It’s time to call out sexist male behaviour, time to
                                          of the World’s Girls reports from Plan International. It
                                                                                                         challenge the acceptance of groping and cat-calling as
                                          presents a worrying rise in intimidation and insecurity
                                                                                                         ‘normal’ or ‘banter’. If we truly want to achieve gender
                                          which is stopping girls from realising their true potential
                                                                                                         parity in our urban environments we can make a start
                                          in our urban spaces.
                                                                                                         by changing the culture of the design and planning
                                          We heard the same story in each of the five cities we          industries, by ensuring transport services take gender-
                                          surveyed (Delhi, Kampala, Lima, Madrid and Sydney):            sensitive approaches so that they reflect the needs of
                                          young women are frightened for their physical safety,          young women using them, by increasing the gender-
                                          and angry that this harassment and bullying is not             parity of decision making bodies, and by offering
                                          taken seriously. Harassment should not be seen as              gender-sensitive training to key personnel so that they
                                          part of a “normal” life for girls and young women. It is       don’t trivialise girls’ concerns.
                                          not harmless fun. It is frightening, disempowering and
                                                                                                         Cities should be places of great opportunity, where
                                          completely unacceptable.
                                                                                                         young women can live and work safely. To achieve this,
                                          As our cities’ populations grow, we are seeing an              we need to consult with girls and young women, and
                                          alarming rise in gender discrimination, sexual violence,       help them campaign for the changes they want to see
                                          harassment, insecurity and exploitation. If this isn’t         at the grassroots level.
                                          tackled it will become a huge barrier to achieving the
                                                                                                         I hope that this and other research can encourage
                                          Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality,
                                                                                                         city bosses and planners to work with girls and young
                                          SDG 5.
                                                                                                         women to finally make our great cities places where
                                          All girls have the right to feel safe in their city. How can   they can thrive.
                                          we transform the everyday lives of girls and women?
                                          What can we all do to make the cities we live in
                                          friendly, safe and equal? Well, instead of blaming the         ANNE-BIRGITTE ALBRECTSEN, CEO,
                                          street lighting, or girls themselves by asking questions       PLAN INTERNATIONAL
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
6                              THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018                   UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                         7

                 Part One
                  Introduction
                 For the first time in history, there are more people living in
                                                                                                                                                     Free to Be
                 cities than in rural areas. Today, cities are home to 54% of                                                                        “Men tell us abusive words and pull us in public
                 the world’s population, and by the middle of this century                                                                            and I really feel unsafe in this area. Police must do
                 that figure will rise to 66%.11 There will be approximately                                                                          something.” GIRL, 16, KAMPALA
                 one billion girls under the age of 18 alive in 2025; millions
                 of them will be among the five billion people who will be                                                                           For Plan International, which has placed the rights
                 living in towns and cities by 2030.12 Despite the economic                                                                          and needs of adolescent girls at the heart of its global
                 opportunities that urban areas can offer, this migration                                                                            strategy, a first step towards taking action has meant
                 from the countryside and villages to towns and cities is                                                                            commissioning research to find out what girls and young
                 challenging: poverty, overcrowding, casual employment,                                                                              women actually experience as they move around their
                 bad housing and inefficient public transport create an                                                                              cities: how safe do they feel, how, where and when
                 environment that penalises the most vulnerable,13 including                                                                         might the fear of violence and harassment impinge on
                 those who are young and female.                                                                                                     their daily activities? What, when girls are restricted and
                                                                                                                                                     intimidated, are the longer-term implications for their
                                                                                                                                                     futures?

    Not only is the experience of the city shaped by one’s gender,                  The impact of this harassment can be far-reaching and it         Research was carried out through Free to Be – a map-
                                                                                    is clearly a barrier to achieving SDG 5, the Sustainable         based social survey tool designed, with the help of girls
    but it is further shaped and re-shaped by additional factors,                                                                                    and young women, to enable them to identify, without
                                                                                    Development Goal of gender equality, the stated aims of
    including age, ethnic background, religion, marital status,                     which include:                                                   fear of recrimination, the areas in their city where they
                                                                                                                                                     feel safe or unsafe. The research project was rolled out
    sexual orientation and disability.14                                              Ending all forms of discrimination against all women
                                                                                                                                                     in Delhi, Kampala, Lima, Madrid and Sydney16 over six
                                                                                    and girls everywhere.
                                                                                                                                                     weeks in April and May 2018. Reflection workshops
                                                                                      Eliminating all forms of violence against all women            were held subsequently in every city in June and July to
                 Girls brought up in cities contend with its contradictions.        and girls in the public and private spheres, including           enhance the analysis of the research findings.
                 Although they are more likely to be educated, less likely to       trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
                                                                                                                                                     “But I’ve been thinking that I don’t want a perfect city
                 be married at an early age and more likely to participate            Ensuring women’s full and effective participation
                                                                                                                                                      either; the only thing that I want is that guys stop taking
                 in politics than girls brought up in rural areas,15 these          and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of
                                                                                                                                                      the liberty of commenting on me and saying things to
                 advantages come at a cost. As the research conducted for           decision-making in political, economic and public life.
                                                                                                                                                      me. I don’t want much. I don’t want birds or the smell
                 this report reveals, city life also brings with it a frightening
                                                                                     Throughout our research girls and young women, whose             of bread in the streets. All I want is for them to treat
                 level of sexual harassment, exploitation and insecurity.
                                                                                     voices are seldom heard, let alone sought out, have told         you normally, like a human being, and that’s all.“ YOUNG
                 Gender discrimination and sexist attitudes, prevalent
                                                                                     us loudly and clearly that their lives “in the public sphere”   WOMAN, 18, REFLECTION WORKSHOP, MADRID
                 everywhere, exacerbate the effects of inadequate
                                                                                     and any opportunities for “effective participation” or
                 infrastructure, poor pay and underemployment that are                                                                               The response from girls and young women to the Free
                                                                                    “leadership” are limited by the fear they experience. On
                 characteristic of so many cities. And girls and young                                                                               to Be project has in many ways been overwhelming.
                                                                                     the city streets gender equality is a non-starter.
                 women are easy targets.                                                                                                             Their use of this platform demonstrates clearly that
                                                                                    “I have just left Sydney after 5 years living and studying       they want to be heard, that they are actively looking for
                 “Being a woman and sitting alone quietly to read or rest
                                                                                     here. Both love and hate for the city, as a female,             change and want to be involved as leaders in bringing
                  is impossible. After 10 minutes you will be approached
                                                                                     especially an Asian female with curves. I never felt safe       it about. Many had already taken risks in calling out and
                  by different types of slimeballs to annoy you, some even
                                                                                     in this city. I get sexual harassment (catcalling, swears,      reporting the harassment they face. The research also
                  try to touch you. My last experience was a beggar who is
                                                                                     pervert stares) almost everywhere I go. No matter how           focused on safe spaces in cities to find out from girls
                  always in that area who literally told me to jerk him off. It’s
                                                                                     much I cover myself with hideous clothes, this never            themselves how they think city life might be improved.
                  disgusting.” YOUNG WOMAN, 26, MADRID
                                                                                     stops.” YOUNG WOMAN, 28, SYDNEY                                 How can girls and young women equally, alongside
                                                                                                                                                     boys and young men, take advantage of the multitude of
                                                                                                                                                     opportunities a city has to offer?
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
8                                                                             THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018                    UNSAFE IN THE CITY		                                                                                                                  9

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        “All girls have the right
      Methodology                                                                                                                                                                                                                      to feel safe in their city.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Free to Be provides the
     The Free to Be online map-based social survey tool               for defining a place as bad: for example, gender,                                                                                                                  evidence to present to
      was first piloted by Plan International Australia in            age, ethnicity or (in Delhi) caste. All responses were
      Melbourne in late 2016. The findings highlighted                anonymous*.                                                                                                                                                    city bosses and planners,
      latent inequalities in the city which caused many to
      sit up and take notice. As a result Plan International
                                                                      Recruitment of participants varied enormously                                                                                                                       to encourage them to
                                                                      across the five cities. Social media campaigns
      commissioned a further study, extended to five
      cities, with the same methodology and partners:
                                                                      promoted the project in each city, followed by                                                                                                                 work with girls and young
                                                                      news media reports including television and radio
      Crowdspot, a digital company specialising in
                                                                      coverage. In Delhi and Kampala the response to                                                                                                                     women to bring about
      map-based data collection, and XYX Lab based at
      Monash University in Melbourne. Digital mapping,
                                                                      this was poor. In order to collect data from those
                                                                      who might have limited access to digital and online
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          change in our cities.”
      and the anonymity it provides, was chosen as
                                                                      facilities, the India and Uganda offices of Plan
      the research tool to encourage a diverse range of
                                                                      International recruited large numbers of young
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ANNE-BIRGITTE ALBRECTSEN, CEO,
      participants with varied experiences and opinions:                                                                                                                                                                                               PLAN INTERNATIONAL
                                                                      women and girls on the street, inviting them to
      reaching sections of the young, female population
                                                                      participate using handheld devices. To a lesser
      that other systems might not. The digital maps for
                                                                      extent, Lima and Madrid also had recruiters on the
      the five city project went live in April 2018 and the
                                                                      streets.
      cities included in the research represent a wide                                                                               described and enables the research to draw valid                              In the Free to Be project the differences in recruiting
      range of populations, cultures, histories and regions.         This analysis, which was conducted by the Monash                conclusions from what so many girls and young women,                        methods, mentioned above, will also have an impact on
      Young women and girls were encouraged to use the               University XYX Lab, focuses on women, girls and                 in all five cities, have reported.                                          the responses received. Direct recruitment, particularly in
      web-based map of their city, by dropping a purple              those who identified as trans, non-binary and other                                                                                         Delhi and Kampala, represents less of a typical crowd-
                                                                                                                                     However, it is not a probability sample. This means
     ‘good’ pin on areas of the city they enjoy and an               gender participants, up to the age of 30. Data from                                                                                         sourcing method and, although it helped to reduce trolling
                                                                                                                                     that any percentages generated are indicative, not
      orange ‘bad’ pin on the precise locations where they           men, older women and contributions identified as                                                                                            activity, it could have compromised anonymity and may
                                                                                                                                     representative of the thoughts and experiences of all
      feel unsafe or uncomfortable. They were then invited           maliciously offensive or false were removed from the                                                                                        have affected the willingness of young women to be
                                                                                                                                     young women and girls in a city: it would not be correct
      to leave a comment about why they liked or disliked            analysis.                                                                                                                                   candid. Also, in a small number of cases, recruiters are
                                                                                                                                     to say that “x% of young women in a city experienced
      that part of the city. Some participants reported                                                                                                                                                          thought to have filled in the survey on the participant’s
                                                                      Free to Be, like all online map-based social surveys,          y.” All statements citing statistical data from this and the
      specific incidents, some overall impressions.                                                                                                                                                              behalf, summarising comments and reducing the
                                                                      is an excellent collector of wide-ranging stories and          individual city reports need to be understood in this light.
     They were also asked to describe how they had                                                                                                                                                               researchers’ ability to hear the voices of the participants.
                                                                      impressions of a city from those whose voices are
      responded and what happened next, as well as to                                                                                                                                                            However, data quality assurance checks were in place
                                                                      not often recorded. The sheer volume of responses              Research Limitations
      identify any discrimination they felt was the reason                                                                                                                                                       and the analysis suggests that this occurred in only a
                                                                      gives weight and credibility to the experiences
                                                                                                                                        Anonymity is one of the advantages of crowd-mapping.                     small number of instances and therefore would not affect
                                                                                                                                     It allows women and girls who have experienced, or fear,                    the overall trends or patterns.
                                                                                                                                     sexual harassment to disclose the location and context of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Because of these variable factors, crowd-mapping is
                                                                                                                                     their experience in their own words without the pressure
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 best used alongside other methods of engagement, such
                                                                                                                                     or embarrassment of an official report. This openness
     Number of pins received per city                                                                                                                                                                            as testing the rough findings of the map through focus
                                                                                                                                     has its disadvantages: trolls are not uncommon and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 groups and workshops. This testing was done during
                                                                                                                                     anyone may enter false data. Madrid was particularly
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 follow-up reflection workshops with girls and young
                                                                                                                                     hit by trolls and over half the pins were deemed
           Lima                    madrid                     kampala                      delhi                   sydney                                                                                        women in all five cities.

      2,037                       951                      1,253 14,876 2,083
                                                                                                                                     inappropriate, or designated as ‘false’ by the research
                                                                                                                                     team and excluded: excluded pins included those judged                      Regardless of any limitations, the research is enormously
                                                                                                                                     to be nonsensical, gratuitously offensive, or where there                   revealing. Thousands of girls and young women across
        valid pins               valid pins                  valid pins                 valid pins                valid pins         was an error in placement.                                                  five cities told their stories and despite differences of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 culture, context and location, it is what they have in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 common that stands out.

     On and offline media   Extensive off and online     Mainly direct recruiting     Mainly direct recruiting      Recruitment
    campaign, some direct   media campaign, some       through Plan International   through Plan International     by social and
     recruiting from Plan     direct on the street           youth activists          staff and independent      traditional media   * Plan International takes very seriously its duty to safeguard all children and young people. Due to the
         International            recruitment                                                 agency                campaigns        anonymous method of the data collection from participants through a digital platform, it was not possible
                                                                                                                                     to follow up directly with survivors of violence, but any participant who dropped a pin on Free to Be was
                                                                                                                                     alerted to local support services and provided with their contact details.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
Special feature
                                                                                                                             stop encumbered journeys) are at        not compete for space. After this       conduct a thorough gender and

    Seize the Moment
           Claiming the Urban Environment for Girls
                                                                                     Women and girls need to
                                                                                     plan with the city and not
                                                                                                                             best an afterthought in the design
                                                                                                                             practice of most cities.
                                                                                                                                  Of course, even if we were
                                                                                                                             able to provide more inclusive
                                                                                                                                                                     simple change, girls came back to
                                                                                                                                                                     the areas and gender-balance was
                                                                                                                                                                     restored.20
                                                                                                                                                                                                             age analysis of urban infrastructure
                                                                                                                                                                                                             investment.23
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Finally we must provide the right
                                                                                                                                                                                                             tools, both by developing standards
                      and Young Women                                                                                        public transport routes, women and      A wealth of opportunity                 that can help engineers understand
                                                                                         be planned for. 17                  girls’ mobility remains constrained     As the digital revolution takes hold,   the infrastructure requirements that
                                                                                                                             across the world due to a lack of       the possibilities for harassment        would support more inclusive cities
                    by Ellie Cosgrave                                              contingent on a person’s gender,          fundamental safety provision. In        and stalking multiply. We have          and by including female voices in
                    Director of the City Leadership Lab                            age, race, class, sexuality, physical     London, Amy Lamé, the city’s first      seen this in the development of the     the design process.
                    at University College London                                                                             Night Czar, is responding to this       (now closed) app Girls Around                In many ways the city
                                                                                   ability and many other categories
                                                                                   of identity. The young single mother      challenge with the Women’s Night        Me which collected social media         represents a great opportunity for
Plan International’s Free to Be            that allow assaults to go unnoticed,    with a baby, for example, may have        Safety Charter.18 The charter, drawn    data including location and photos,     girls’ and women’s liberation. The
research speaks to me both                 the unsafe and inappropriate toilet     wholly different needs of public          up as a seven-point pledge, is the      without the explicit consent of the     wealth of opportunity that attracts
professionally, as someone                 provision and the public transport      transport than that of the 9-5 city       first of its kind covering the entire   women and girls involved, allowing      millions of people24 to cities every
working in urban design and                that provides no space for prams        worker. Historically, there has           capital, and sets out guidance          men to track and proposition them.      week has the possibility to provide
engineering, and personally, as            or pushchairs. I have spent many        been little action to understand the      for venues, operators, charities,       This is a clear example of smart-city   them with education and training,
a young woman living in the city.          years researching the ways in           diversity of need around transport        councils and businesses to improve      enabled stalking and harassment,        financial freedom and a strong
As a girl growing up in London, I          which our cities could be designed      systems in cities, and most urban         safety at night for women. Potential    developed by a tech sector that         network of social ties. However,
learnt very early on to be vigilant in     to support the needs of women as        infrastructure is standardised:           measures include training for front     is predominantly male. However,         if key safety and accessibility
public spaces. By the age of 12 my         well as men and, by extension, a        planners envisage only one type of        of house staff, posters to discourage   these same technologies are also        requirements are ignored during
friends and I were all too aware of        diversity of body types.                traveller and design revolves around      harassment and encourage                allowing female voices to be heard      the design process we are at risk
the ways in which existing as a girl            Plan International’s Free to Be    him. In order to appreciate this fully,   reporting of incidents, and a           and be taken seriously for the          of perpetuating violence against
in the city put us at risk. Whether it’s   research is important as it reveals     we must expand our understanding          commitment to ensure women leave        first time. The #metoo movement         women and girls, and restricting
the shock of being groped for the          key tensions that exist between the     of girls’ and women’s safety beyond       venues safely. The Night Czar is        for example, fuelled online, has        their opportunities. When girls and
first time, the shame that follows         city as both a place of opportunity     sexual violence, to include their         also pushing for gender audits of       united women’s voices across the        women are excluded from public
being stalked after having ”been           and liberation for girls and women,     ability to move freely throughout         public transport at night.              world and has helped to create a        spaces they are excluded from
out far too late for such young girls,”    as well as the ways in which it puts    the city. It is only then that the             Globally, UN Women’s Safe          momentum around action against          the opportunities the city has to
the embarrassment of having your           them at risk: risks of violence and     resources and opportunities (and          Cities Initiative encourages            sexual violence. When we translate      offer. This is perhaps especially
newly developed breasts stared at          harassment that are particularly        the associated rights and liberty)        innovative, locally owned and           this movement to the urban              true during adolescence, a
by strangers, or learning what “kerb       harmful to adolescent girls as they     inherent in cities can be justly          sustainable approaches to prevent       environment and initiatives like the    time of exploration and growing
crawling” is as your friend tells you      begin to negotiate the city. The        distributed.                              and respond to sexual harassment        Free to Be mapping tool, we give        independence, but, whatever their
to walk faster and pretend not to          research illustrates that the hurdles                                             and other forms of violence             girls and young women a new and         age, girls and women need to be
notice: the multiple and constant          which need to be overcome to make       Moving through the city                   against women and girls in public       powerful voice so they can begin to     heard, they must feel safe and,
threats that tell young girls the city     cities safer are significant and go     Transport planning provides a clear       spaces. To date, the initiative has     use this data to create real change     above all, “Free to Be.”
is not a place in which they belong.       beyond design and infrastructure.       example of how cities’ physical           supported a variety of projects:        in the ways in which we design the
I, and most young women across             However they are in no way              infrastructure is inherently gendered.    including adopting women’s safety       built environment.
the world, have been let down by           insurmountable: we are at a moment      Most urban transport systems are          audits in Cairo to guide urban               Although there are a great many
a system that does not prioritise or       in history when these concerns,         designed to optimise flow into the        planning and engaging more              hurdles to achieving gender parity
truly understand our needs.                especially tackling the violence        city in the morning and out of the city   than 100 youth agents of change         in the urban environment, much can
      We already know the ways in          experienced by girls and women,         in the evenings. We see this in how       to lead transformative activities       be done to make progress, both in
which this is a social problem. We         are beginning to be taken seriously     most urban metros are designed            in schools in order to promote          the short and long term. We could
know that in many cities it’s unlikely     by local, national and international    with radial rather than orbital           respectful gender relationships,        start by changing the culture of the    Ellie Cosgrave’s research focuses on
that bystanders will intervene when        governments and organisations.          routes. Here we see that the implicit     gender equality and safety in public    design and planning industries:         how urban design and engineering can
                                                                                                                                                                                                             contribute to more inclusive cities. She is
they see a woman, or even a young          There are opportunities to address      assumption is that the system             spaces.19                               increasing the gender-parity of
                                                                                                                                                                                                             also co-founder and Director of ScienceGrrl,
girl, being harassed and that the          the challenges faced by girls and       should be designed for people who              Likewise, a study carried out in   decision making bodies21 and
                                                                                                                                                                                                             an organisation that supports women in
policing system means violence             women in cities through the wider       are accessing the paid, daytime           Vienna found a rapid decline in the     offering gender-sensitive training      science and engineering careers and is the
against girls and women often goes         inclusion of their voices and ideas     labour market. Therefore, those           use of public parks by girls above      to key personnel.22 We must also        Chair of the My Body Back project which
unreported and unprosecuted. But           and by broadening the disciplines       who are accessing night-time work,        the age of nine, while the number       collect more evidence: including        provides health services to women who have
I argue that it is also a problem of a     involved in urban design and            are engaged in the informal labour        of boys remained constant. Parks        carrying out safety audits, listening   experienced sexual violence.

city’s physical infrastructure and how     planning.                               market, are at school or college, or      were redesigned to create sports-       to the experiences of women
it is designed. It’s the unlit streets          We know implicitly that the way    have caring responsibilities (which       specific spaces and divided into        and girls in cities and collecting
and overcrowded trains and buses           in which a city is experienced is       may involve many local, multi-            smaller areas where groups would        disaggregated data in order to
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                        13

                          Part two
                           Free to be
                           research findings
                          Each one of the cities taking part in the project is unique,        Apart from Sydney where the majority of the contributors
                          with its own language, culture and geography. And yet,              were in work, the majority of the girls and young women
                          in each of these cities, and all over the world, girls and          taking part in Free to Be described themselves as
                          women face barriers to using the public spaces which                students. Across the five cities the average age of all
                          boys and men take for granted. Unwanted attention and               participants was 21. It was younger women between
                          harassment, fear of assault and abuse when travelling               the ages of 16-20, a time in their lives when they might
                          alone, after dark and even in broad daylight change how             expect to enjoy a new independence, who posted a
                          girls and young women experience city life and in many              higher proportion of bad pins.
                          cases are severely restrictive.

      In no city          “A disgusting man shouted dirty things at me, followed
                           me to the door of the college. The worst part is that after
                           several hours, I went out into the street and he was still
                                                                                              What Happens to Girls and Young Women
                                                                                              and Why?

was a young woman’s        waiting for me on a bench. It has given me very bad
                           vibes and right now I am really afraid.” YOUNG WOMAN, 19,
                          MADRID
                                                                                                 “Far too many men around the world grew

experience of city life    According to one study, 80% of public space in
                                                                                                  up in households where their mother was
                                                                                                 beaten by their father. They grew up seeing

   free from fear.
                                                                                                  violent behaviour towards women as the
                            cities is used by men, and girls feel 10 times
                                                                                                      norm, as just the way life is lived.”
                           less secure in these public spaces than men.25
                                                                                                                  MICHAEL KAUFMAN26
                          Across the five cities the number of pins dropped was
                          21,200, and the “bad” pins, places where girls and                  What happens on our city streets, as the research
                          young women felt unsafe or uncomfortable, greatly                   reveals, is relentless sexual harassment and abuse and
                          outnumbered the “good”. Similarly, out of the 9,292                 the short answer to the question of why? is endemic
                          comments left, the negative ones outweighed the positive            misogyny and what a young woman in Sydney described
                          ones. In no city was a young woman’s experience of city             as “toxic masculinity”.
                          life free from fear.                                          In all the cities except Kampala, sexual harassment –
                                                                                                              verbal and physical – was by far the
                            Lima           madrid         Kampala               DELHI             Sydney      major factor in creating bad spaces.
                                                                                                              In both Lima and Madrid, a high 84%
                                                                                                              and 85% of comments, attached
                                                                                                              to bad pins, described sexual
                                                                                                              harassment, ranging from catcalling
                            11% 89%          16% 84%         20% 80%            37% 63%         25% 75%
                                                                                                              and  intimidation to assault.
                           2,037 pins         951 pins       1,253 pins         14,876 pins         2,083 pins

                            6% 94%           12% 88%         20% 80%             30% 70%            21% 79%      Figure 1: Total number of
                              1,290
                           comments
                                               672
                                            comments
                                                               1,251
                                                             comments
                                                                                  4,602
                                                                                comments
                                                                                                      1,479
                                                                                                    comments
                                                                                                                 valid pins and comments,
                                                                                                                 both positive and negative
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
14                                                         THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018   UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                         15

                                                                                                    84% 85%                                   Percentage of comments made
                                                                                                                                              by participants reporting sexual
                                                                                                    Lima                  madrid              harassment in public spaces

                                                                                                 “I suffered from street sexual harassment, a man touched       “It’s Just Disgusting”
                                                                                                  me in front of a police patrol and they did not do anything
                                                                                                                                                                Some of the violence reported is rape and physical
                                                                                                  even though I called them.” YOUNG WOMAN, 23, LIMA
                                                                                                                                                                sexual abuse which in most countries is illegal, though
                                                                                                 In Kampala participants felt unsafe because of theft, both     enforcement or intervention is a different issue:
                                                                                                 feared and experienced, often accompanied by assault.
                                                                                                 Half of those involved thought that a lack of police and       “I was grabbed by a man and forced to the ground, my
                                                                                                 overall security, rather than abuse targeted specifically at    underwear pulled down then digitally penetrated until I
                                                                                                 girls and young women, was the main reason they felt a          could struggle free and run.” YOUNG WOMAN, 19, SYDNEY
                                                                                                 space was unsafe. Although, as young women, they felt
                                                                                                                                                                However, the majority of reports are of non-physical
                                                                                                 particularly vulnerable.
                                                                                                                                                                abuse, which in many cases is not covered by legislation.
                                                                                                                                                                It is unremitting: girls are chased, stalked, leered at,
                                                                                                 “There are drug users who abuse people who pass by
Figure 2: Number of comments on sexual harassment                                                 that shortcut. The place is filled up with idle people who
                                                                                                                                                                insulted verbally and subjected to indecent exposure.
                                                                                                  have nothing to do. The police should always patrol that
                                                 Out of                                                                                                         “A man in his car started following me while I walked.
                                                                                                  place to either arrest or scare away those drug users.”

                                             6,542
                                                                                                                                                                 He asked me why I did not listen to him. I got fed up
                                                                                                 GIRL, 19, KAMPALA
                                                                                                                                                                 and asked him to stop harassing me. He said laughing:
                                         comments on bad pins                                    In Delhi, Lima, Madrid and Sydney however the majority         ‘Ah, this is harassment?’ ‘Yes’ I answered, realising the
                                            across all cities                                    of participants do feel they are targeted just because they     ignorance or brazenness that exists in this country.”

                                              4,264
                                                                                                 are young and female: in Delhi 78% of bad pins identified      YOUNG WOMAN, 24, LIMA

                                                                                                 gender discrimination as the main factor at play. In
                                                                                                                                                                In Lima, Madrid and Sydney, participants reported that
                                           mentioned sexual                                      Sydney the combination of ethnicity and gender was also
                                                                                                                                                                men masturbate in front of them:
                                             harassment                                          noted as an increased risk for young women:
                                                                                                                                                                “It was a few years ago, and I was on the subway with
                                                                                                 “A group of teenage boys followed me on bikes and
                                                                                                                                                                 some friends. To begin with, a guy came over who was
                                                                                                  scooters. They took turns riding past me and hitting
                                                                                                                                                                 very drunk, and began to rub his private parts against
                                                                                                  me. They would make comments on my race and sexist
                                                                                                                                                                 my friend and me. That day the carriage was really busy
                                                                                                  comments.” YOUNG WOMAN, 21, SYDNEY
                                                                                                                                                                 and another man who was sitting began to masturbate
                                                                                                 Everywhere the perpetrators of harassment were                  covering himself with a bag. It’s just disgusting.” YOUNG
                                                                                                 predominantly male. There were also a number of                WOMAN, 19, MADRID

                                                                                                 comments referring to men or boys operating in groups
                                                                                                 or gangs, in several cases under the influence of drink
                                                                                                                                                                  In Madrid public masturbation was mentioned
        2,855                             562                           847
                                                                                                 or drugs. In Sydney alcohol or drug use was a factor in
                                                                                                 nearly a quarter of all “bad pins”, in Madrid it was 22%             in 11% of comments on unsafe places
     Sexual harassment              Sexual harassment           Sexual harassment – both         and it was 16% in Lima.
        – no physical               – physical contact
        contact only                                                                             “There are always drunk men in a group, annoying the
                                           only                                                   women who pass by. It is very uncomfortable because
                                                                                                  there are a lot of them and it is impossible to ignore it.”
                                                                                                 YOUNG WOMAN, 25, LIMA
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
16                                                             THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018            UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                 17

Where Do Girls Feel Most Unsafe?                                                                                                             “It Shouldn’t Be Like That”
                                                                                                                                             Harassment takes place at all times of day, though in many
“I’m tired, street harassment hurts me to the bone. Is it
                                                                                                                                             places there is an evening or late night peak. In several cities,
 that perhaps they do not realise that their ‘compliments’
 hurt? I am starting to be afraid to leave home.” GIRL, 16,
                                                              Figure 3: Percentage of bad pins by                                            some of their most famous tourist destinations, like Old Delhi’s
LIMA
                                                              different types of locations                                                   main bazaar, were harassment hotspots. In Madrid there were
                                                                                                                                             clusters of bad spots around critical central points in the city
The majority of reports for both the good and the bad                                                                                        where you would expect girls would be able to go to without
in all the cities were recorded as occurring on the                                                                                          feeling afraid. This was also the case in Lima, Delhi and Kampala
street. This finding is not surprising since the publicity                                                                                   where places that are largely unavoidable were also pinned as
and invitations to submit to Free to Be highlighted the                                                                                      areas of high risk.
tool as an opportunity to discuss street harassment
and inevitably, also, the streets would be where the                                                                                         “It’s very crowded. One time, when I was returning from school,
participants spend the most time as they go to school,                                                                                        some boys passed comments at me and followed me. One of
college, work or to meet friends. It is interesting that                                                                                      my brothers’ friends saw me and complained to my brother that I
on the street rates the highest for good spots too: few         On the street                 On public                      To/from work     was spending time with these boys.” GIRL, 15, DELHI
places had only good or only bad pins. In a park, for             Lima: 64%                   transport                       Lima: 16%      In Sydney young women in the reflection workshops picked
example, was frequently tagged for good spots, and it             Madrid: 67%                  Lima: 20%                      Madrid: 14%    out the number of bad pins in the university areas and agreed
was also the site for bad pins.                                   Kampala: 79%                 Madrid: 18%                    Kampala: 25%   how prevalent harassment was there: “I’m really glad that [the
                                                                  Delhi: 59%                   Kampala: 19%                   Delhi: 9%
Public transport was the next highest tagged location for                                                                                    university] got so many bad spots. We needed that, because I
                                                                  Sydney: 60%                  Delhi: 31%                     Sydney: 20%
bad spots, though in Kampala and Sydney going to and                                                                                         feel like no one calls it out.”
                                                                                               Sydney: 20%
from work was particularly noted. In practice, all these
                                                                                                                                             In several cities although the heart of a shopping centre or mall
categories have considerable overlaps and participants
                                                                                                                                             might be somewhere girls felt safe, the surrounding areas to and
often selected more than one location. A picture
                                                                                                                                             from the malls were often both pinned as bad, and commented
emerges of girls and young women feeling uncomfortable
                                                                                                                                             on as threatening.
or unsafe, at some time or other, all over the cities
they live in.                                                                                                                                “We think that they ought to focus not only on what happens
                                                                                                                                              inside it but also on what happens around it, provide security
“Old men follow me in their cars, often asking me for sex
                                                                                                                                              around these streets, because to get to this shopping mall,
 when I am coming from work.” YOUNG WOMAN, 22, KAMPALA
                                                                                                                                              people have to go through unsafe streets and this is wrong, it
Transport hubs, train and bus stations and bus stops                                                                                          shouldn’t be like that.” YOUNG WOMAN, REFLECTION WORKSHOP, LIMA.
were prime locations for groping and harassment –                 In a park                   Out socially        To/from school
                                                                                                                                             The research also shows that not only is violence against girls
central meeting points, crowded places through which               Lima: 8%                    Lima: 6%            Lima: 11%
                                                                                                                                             and women widespread, it also limits participation and infringes
men could pass quickly without being identified.                   Madrid: 18%                 Madrid: 6%          Madrid: 8%
                                                                                                                                             the right to education.
                                                                   Kampala: 1%                 Kampala: 22%        Kampala: 14%
“Because it is an informal bus stop, most drivers harass           Delhi: 22%                  Delhi: 6%           Delhi: 6%                 In Delhi one 14-year-old girl noted: “ Because this happens
 as many women or teenagers as possible. It is a very              Sydney: 19%                 Sydney: 16%         Sydney: 8%                to me, my mother took me and my sister out of school,” while
 insecure area. I have been harassed more than once                                                                                          another commented: “My mother and father, observing the bad
 while passing by.” YOUNG WOMAN, 22, LIMA                                                                                                    environment, tried to put an end to my education but my elder
                                                                                                                                             sister intervened and sided by me, and helped me to continue my
In Lima, 89% of pins indicated bad spots, the highest in
                                                                                                                                             studies.”
the survey, with Delhi the lowest at 63%.

                                                                              At the shops                                At public event
                                                                               Lima: 5%                                    Lima: 3%
                                                                               Madrid: 3%                                  Madrid: 4%
                                                                               Kampala: 13%                                Kampala: 4%
                                                                               Delhi: 6%                                   Delhi: 2%
                                                                               Sydney: 10%                                 Sydney: 4%
THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S GIRLS
18                                                                             THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018               UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                           19

 Coping Strategies: Avoid When Alone
 For the young women and girls who participated in Free           experience...so it’s a whole cyclic effect which begins and    the problem. It demonstrates all too clearly that as far as
 to Be the most common reaction to bad places in all              starts with the culture of gender-based street harassment,     society is concerned girls are second-class citizens. It is
 the cities was to avoid the area when they were on their         toxic masculinity and lack of education on that.” YOUNG        the reason why girls and women often suffer in silence,         figure 5:
 own. Some never went back. In every city, there were             WOMAN, SYDNEY, REFLECTION WORKSHOP
                                                                                                                                 frequently blame themselves, and are blamed by others,          Number of bad pins reported to
 a number of participants who had stopped studying,                                                                              and expect little help from the authorities.                    authorities and percentage of response
 working or moved because of a particular incident or the                                                                                                                                        by authorities
                                                                                                                                 “​As a woman I have repeatedly been harassed around
 level of threat they felt.                                                           In Madrid                                    this place, in and around North campus. The police were
“I quit my job because I was terrified.” YOUNG WOMAN, 24,             49% of participants noted that harassment                   utterly useless in helping me and rather indulged in moral
 SYDNEY                                                                 “happens so often, I am just used to it”                   policing. Surprisingly nothing has changed in years and
                                                                                                                                   people continue to get harassed and mugged as well.”​                   lima          No action
 The examples of missed education, confinement to the                                                                            YOUNG WOMAN, 22, DELHI
                                                                                                                                                                                                         176             was taken in

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         82%
 home or neighbourhood – which will affect their future           In all the cities to varying degrees, the participants noted
                                                                  that harassment of some kind was so frequent that
 employment prospects and limit their ability to lead
                                                                                                                                 “They Won’t Do Anything About It”                                      bad pins
 independent lives and become active and engaged                  they were “just used to it”. This was strongest in Madrid                                                                             reported
 citizens – are mentioned by several young women. Often           and weakest in Delhi. This acceptance of what should           Free to Be also asked participants to detail who they               to authorities       of cases
 they are afraid to go out alone and if they are not, their       be unacceptable male behaviour, not just by girls and          had told of the incident and, if officially reported, whether
 parents are afraid for them. In Lima, 33 participants            young women, but by society as a whole, is the crux of         any action had resulted. Apart from Kampala, reporting
 stopped attending school, work or                                                                                               of events to the authorities was typically not nearly as
 college because of their experience                                                                                             frequent as telling a family member or friend. In each city
 of abuse and harassment.                    figure 4:                                                                           more than 30% of participants spoke to someone they                     madrid          No action

                                                                                                                                                                                                          62
                                            What did the young women do in                                                       knew and trusted. Official reporting was not high (around                               was taken in
“Almost every day I met different
 men who said: “Hello.” All over
 40. And me wearing my school
 uniform.” GIRL, 14, LIMA
                                            response to harassment
                                            How girls responded, expressed as percentages of total bad pins per city

                                                                                    HAPPENS SO
                                                                                                                                 10% of incidents in Lima, Madrid and Sydney) and in the
                                                                                                                                 majority of cases, the authorities did nothing. In Kampala
                                                                                                                                 reporting was higher at 33% but in only 16% of cases
                                                                                                                                                                                                        bad pins
                                                                                                                                                                                                        reported
                                                                                                                                                                                                     to authorities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         73%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          of cases
                                                                     AVOID         OFTEN THAT I’M                                was anything done:
                                                                     WHEN         JUST USED TO IT
 Overall, within the group of survey
                                            50%                      ALONE              Madrid                                   “Those thugs work together with the police in that if you
 participants, threatening male                                                                                                   report, they won’t do anything about it.” YOUNG WOMAN, 19,
                                                                      Sydney
 behaviour – girls and young                                                                                                     KAMPALA
 women being terrified – has
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Kampala          No action

                                                                                                                                                                                                        339
 significantly disrupted 208 lives.                                                                                              This distrust of the police was not confined to Kampala:
                                                                      Delhi                                                                                                                                              was taken in

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         84%
 Restrictive survival strategies            40%                                        Kampala
                                                            Madrid    Lima
 which limit their ability, and their                                                                                            “One night I was waiting for a friend to come, a man who
 right, to study, work or just walk on
                                                                                       Lima
                                                                                       Sydney
                                                                                                                                  was constantly prowling around suddenly stood between                 bad pins
                                                                                                                                  two cars looking at me and started to masturbate,                     reported
 the streets, are forced on young                                                                                                                                                                    to authorities       of cases
 women rather than behaviour                                                                                                      I started shouting at him that I was going to call the
 change on their intimidators.              30%                                                                                   police and he left running. Five minutes later I passed a
                                                                                                                                  police car, told them what had happened to me and the
                                                                                                                                  policeman started to flirt with me.” YOUNG WOMAN, 25, MADRID
“...because the men aren’t
 punished for this, women see                                         Kampala                                                    Girls and young women held back from reporting                          sydney          No action

                                                                                                                                                                                                         142
                                                                                        Delhi
 it as their fault and we have to                                                                         STOPPED                incidents not just because they did not expect the                                      was taken in
                                            20%       NEVER                                                STUDY

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         69%
 change our actions rather than                       WENT                                                OR WORK                authorities to do anything, or because harassment
 men changing their actions. The                      BACK
                                                                                                                                 is just “normal,” but also because they feared the                     bad pins
 consequence is that women feel                         Lima                                          Lima 2% Delhi              consequences:                                                          reported
 as if they are lesser, they begin                      Sydney                                                                                                                                       to authorities       of cases
                                                        Delhi
                                                        D lhi
 to question the validity of their                                                                  Sydney 1% Madrid             “We thought about telling the police but we did not do it
                                            10%         Madrid
                                                        Kampala
                                                                                                                                  for fear that someone would see us as we live nearby.”
                                                                                                           0% Kampala            WOMAN, 26, MADRID
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Delhi responses on reporting not included due
                                                                                                                                                                                                  to availability of data.

                                              0
20                                                                          THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018                   UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                               21

                                                                                                                                  A common experience
                                                                                                                                  Despite the differences of context, culture and geography
                                                                                                                                  the experience of harassment and the consequent feelings of
                                                                                                                                  both fear and anger are universal across the five cities.

                                                                “We need to increase awareness”
                                                                 The girls and young women who left their comments
                                                                 on our Free to Be maps did not underestimate the                     To be groped,
                                                                 difficulties involved in bringing about lasting change.
                                                                                                                                                                                       They are harassed
                                                                                                                                      cat-called and
                                                                 They recognise that making cities “inclusive, safe,
                                                                                                                                                                                       at all times of the
                                                                                                                                      abused is
                                                                 resilient and sustainable”27 would be challenging.
                                                                                                                                                                                       day and night.
                                                                                                                                      “just normal”.                                                                                  For the most part,
                                                                 However one theme emerged strongly: “we need to                                                                                                                      bystanders do just
                                                                 increase awareness,” about what is happening on                                                                                                                      stand by and do little or
                                                                 our streets, one young woman in Delhi commented.                                                                                                                     nothing to help.
                                                                “Ignorance undermines girls,” wrote another in
“The People Here Saved Me”                                       Kampala, “sensitise men about the rights and dignity                                         The underlying cause
As we have seen, in all five cities, the ratio of good to bad    that everyone deserves.” Getting to the root cause                                           is male behaviour, not
pins and comments was weighted heavily towards the               of male behaviour, in order to change it, was high on                                        lack of security or
bad but some spaces were rated safer than others. And,           their agenda. This idea was also taken up in Lima and                                        lighting.
as you might expect, there was a variety of responses to         Madrid: “I do not know how to improve things, maybe
the question of “why?”.                                          educating the new generations better?”
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Cities are not safe places for girls and young women:
In Delhi and Madrid, girls and young women prioritised          So, in terms of what can be done to make our cities                                                                                on the streets and in most of the public spaces they
a community environment, a place where you would find           safer, a proper acknowledgement of what is happening                                                                               frequently feel uncomfortable, unsafe and intimidated,
families, and someone might come to your aid:                   to girls and young women on our streets, in our parks, in                                                                          just because they are young and female.
                                                                shopping centres, in taxis and on buses and trains, is,
“Someone harassed me and the people here saved me               they think, a good place to start. Everywhere girls report
 and helped me out.” YOUNG WOMAN, 18, DELHI.                    fear, sexual harassment and restricted mobility limiting
                                                                their opportunities and not knowing what to do or who to              Girls and young women are forced
Understandably, girls also felt safer somewhere that was
                                                                turn to. Priorities in Kampala may be different from those            to modify their own behaviour to
more familiar, where they were known, as one 15-year
                                                                in Delhi or Madrid, but the underlying issues are constant            keep themselves safe: this places                                                    Girls feel that there is little point
old in Delhi commented: “Everybody knows me in O
                                                                and constantly ignored. In all the cities studied, for                limitations on their freedom,                                                        in reporting harassment to the
block.” In Kampala and Lima, despite plenty of negative
                                                                example, the police and the authorities have a poor track             opportunity and equality.                                                            authorities because they perceive
comments about police attitudes and inactivity, girls
                                                                record: girls and young women accept the unacceptable                                                                                                      that the authorities have neither
felt safer when there was visible security and police
                                                                because they do not expect a response when they                                                                                                            the will nor the power to do
presence.
                                                                report incidents to the authorities or shout for help on                                                                                                   anything about it.
The physical state of an area also had an effect in             the streets.
determining whether a place was good, with adequate
lighting, cleanliness and the presence of good                  “I was sitting on the lawn. A man passing told me that
infrastructure all appearing in the comments in varying          there was a guy behind me. When I turned around, a
degrees across the cities. Lighting mattered most in             man had his penis out. He was masturbating, looking
Kampala, where nearly a quarter of positive comments             at me, sitting on a bench in plain sight and ignored by
mentioned it, and was quite important, too, in Sydney            all. Nobody did anything. I was underage, I did not say
at 18%, but for girls in the other three cities it was not a     anything, I just retired to cry alone. It was horrible!” YOUNG
                                                                                                                                  “This research will allow Plan International to advocate
priority.                                                       WOMAN, 23, LIMA
                                                                                                                                  on behalf of young women and girls so that their voices
                                                                                                                                  are heard by key decision-makers in architecture, urban
                                                                                                                                        planning, government and public transport,”
                                                                                                                                                    DR NICOLE KALMS, DIRECTOR,
                                                                                                                                          MONASH UNIVERSITY XYX LAB, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
My name is Faridah and I’m 19. I live in Kampala, a city      My biggest hope is that people who work in local
                 of 3.2 million inhabitants, and for the last two years I’ve   transport will become aware of girls’ rights and their value
                 been part of Plan International’s Safer Cities programme.     and help to make our city safer for girls. If that happens,
                                                                               our city will be greater.
                 It’s very dangerous to walk alone in Kampala – the
                 biggest problem is street harassment whether we walk          As part of Safer Cities, we did what we call the safety
                 by ourselves or in a group. But it costs money to pay         walk, where we identify the risks that make girls feel
                 for a bodaboda [motorcycle taxi] and if you do, the           unsafe in Kampala. It helped us because even though we
                 drivers sometimes make you have an affair with them. If       live here we didn’t know about certain areas which are
                 you reject them, they won’t help you when you have a          very dangerous but now we know them, we know where
                 problem.                                                      to avoid.
                 I sell nuts and chips by the roadside and I work in the       In my community, most of us are child mothers. Before,
                 evenings, from 6pm till midnight. When it’s night here,       we never knew our rights but this programme has taught
                 girls are not safe. I’ve been assaulted several times and     us to stand up for ourselves. We girls are no longer
                 a year ago when I was pregnant I was walking in the           passive – we now know how to speak, how to behave,

     Faridah     street with a friend when she was raped and killed by a
                 gang of drug dealers.
                                                                               how to keep ourselves safe.
                                                                               Last year, when I was out in the city with other girls, a
                 She’s not alone. Every year in Uganda, more than one          mechanic in a local garage started abusing me. He
                 million women are exposed to sexual violence across the       sprayed water at me and when I spoke to him, he

   “This Time
                 country.28                                                    slapped me and tried to treat me like a sex object.
                                                                               This time I fought back: I went to the police and got
                 I was also robbed recently. My handbag was taken when
                                                                               him arrested. As this kind of harassment of girls is
                 I was leaving work.
                                                                               so common in Kampala, we need to engage men in
                 To feel safe and be safe in this city, you need a man –       dialogue.

I Fought Back”
                 your brother or father – to go out with you. But even then,
                                                                               We also need to spread the word to more girls, so
                 other men shout out, “Give me your sister, give me your
                                                                               they realise they don’t have to put up with this kind of
                 daughter,” and it’s embarrassing.
                                                                               treatment. I’m now a Champion of Change trainer. I
                 I’m a single mother with two children, aged four and 10       train my fellow girls. We want to do outreach to girls in
                 months. I decided to take part in Safer Cities because I      areas where Plan International does not have reach and
                 used to be so ashamed of myself because I was a child         communicate how to keep themselves safe in school.
                 mother and I dropped out of school. I couldn’t even walk
                                                                               When some men change their mind-sets, when abuse
                 down the street. When I joined the programme, I got
                                                                               like carpet interviews [bosses who make love to girls
                 empowered. I knew I could stop other girls from having to
                                                                               before they will employ them], no longer takes place,
                 face what I went through when I became a child mother.
                                                                               when girls know their rights and are confident to stand up
                 I feel more courageous. I gained confidence because of
                                                                               for themselves, we will transform our lives.
                 what we’ve achieved.
                 My family now see me as valuable, because of my goal
                 that I want to be a champion of change in our society. I’m
                 trying to change my fellow girls’ mind sets now – how
                 they see themselves. We’ve also spoken to bodaboda
                 authorities and got a chance to present our asks to
                 municipal councillors.
                 We as girls asked the local authorities for street lights –
                 because we couldn’t be seen or see where we are going.
                 We asked for our city to be more clean and welcoming.
                 We asked for more recreational activities like football so
                 that girls could feel more included. All of these areas are
                 now improving.
UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                        25

Part Three
Conclusion and
Recommendations

The evidence and testimony of girls and young women           me (aged 17) feel so uncomfortable and unsafe that I
in Delhi, Lima, Kampala, Madrid and Sydney makes              now don’t attend university lectures that align with the
for grim reading. They have a lot in common. In all five      times I found him there. Didn’t believe I could report it
cities they experience sexual harassment and physical         due to lack of evidence and was afraid I would be told
violence which ranges from cat-calling to assault on a        that ‘He is just being friendly’ or some other BS excuse.”
daily basis. Too many of them, nearly half of the research    GIRL, 17, SYDNEY

respondents in some cities, accept the treatment that
                                                               As increasing numbers of people move into, and are
they receive: “you just have to put up with it”, it is what
                                                               born in, cities, how can we transform the everyday lives
happens, it’s “normal”. And therein lies the problem.
                                                               of girls and women? What can we all do as individuals,
Male behaviour towards girls and women – the groping,
                                                               families, communities and municipalities to make the
leching, name-calling, chasing, bottom-pinching,
                                                               great urban areas in which so many of us live, friendly,
grabbing, public masturbation and horrendous overall
                                                               safe and equal? It is unthinkable that, as one young
harassment is condoned by society. It is part of life and
                                                               woman in Delhi wrote, she was being attacked and
girls feel powerless to stop it.
                                                              “nobody stopped to help”.
“You have to be quite covered in ethnic clothes otherwise
                                                              “In my imaginary city there would be equality but in my
 if anything wrong happens to you when you are wearing
                                                               current city there’s no equality.” YOUNG WOMAN, KAMPALA,
 western clothes, or if you are out late, you alone are
                                                              REFLECTION WORKSHOP
 supposed to be responsible.” YOUNG WOMAN, DELHI

The findings demonstrate that girls and young women
are forced into changing their behaviour in order to
avoid harassment, when clearly it is the behaviour and
attitudes of many men and boys, and society’s collusion,       “I pass through here twice a day to get to work
that need to change. And we need to talk about this: to
recognise that large sections of the female population are         and am routinely verbally abused by men.
frequently afraid, are denied the space and opportunity to      I feel unsafe and would never go through here
work, study or play in our cities, or to influence and lead
change in their own communities.
                                                               at night. I wish the police or government would
                                                                  listen to women’s stories and do something
“The same man on multiple occasions has followed
 me through train carriages and around Central Station
                                                                                about this place.”
 harassing me for my number. This man (over 50) made                             YOUNG WOMAN, SYDNEY
26                                                           THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S GIRLS 2018   UNSAFE IN THE CITY                                                                                                      27

                  Key Recommendations
     Based on the comments left on the city maps, and on the follow-up reflection workshops with
       groups of girls and young women, three overarching recommendations have emerged:

                                                                                                   1. Behaviour Change
                                                                                                   It is everyone’s responsibility to condemn harassment and violence against girls and women. More
                                                                                                   specifically men and boys need to recognise that sexist behaviour is intolerable and change it by learning to
                                                                                                   respect girls and women as their equals: standing out against the culture of verbal and physical abuse, not
                                                                                                   standing by. And understanding also that harassment should not be part of a “normal” life for girls and young

                      Behaviour
                                                                                                   women. It is not harmless fun, it is frightening, disempowering and completely unacceptable.

                       change
                                                                                                   Start the conversation: whether it be one to one, within       Public campaigning: abuse of young women and girls
                     start the conversation                                                        the family between parents and children, at school or at       should be treated with the same seriousness and the
                        Public Discussion                                                          work, everyone should be talking to each other about           same commitment, as the campaigns to ban drunk

                       Public Campaigning                            Girls’                        girls’ and women’s experiences and the unacceptable
                                                                                                   behaviour of men and boys. The discussion needs to be
                                                                                                                                                                  driving or to stop smoking. Municipal governments,
                                                                                                                                                                  private sector, donor and civil society organisations can
                      Allies and Champions                       participation                     shifted away from making girls take the responsibility for
                                                                                                   their own safety – by coming home early, travelling in
                                                                                                                                                                  all play a part in funding and publicising effective public
                                                                                                                                                                  campaigns against harassment and abuse, ensuring

                                                              in decision-making                   groups, covering themselves up and avoiding many busy
                                                                                                   places – to the responsibility of everyone, especially
                                                                                                                                                                  the issues are prominent across print, radio, television
                                                                                                                                                                  and online. Journalists, advertising executives, chat
                                                                       Gathering Information       boys and men, to understand that harassment is a form          show hosts and editors – all those who publicly present
                                                                                                   of violence, and that it is their behaviour that creates the   ideas and images about a girl’s or woman’s place in the
                                                                            Safe Spaces            fear that accompanies girls in so many public spaces. In       world – need to recognise discrimination and change the
                                                                        Design and Planning        particular, boys and young men need to be empowered            public conversation about girls and women to challenge

           Making
                                                                                                   to be champions of change, not to be afraid to intervene       the sexism that normalises harassment. Grassroots
                                                                                                   and challenge the group culture that normalises                campaigning, involving girls and young women at
                                                                                                   catcalling, groping and stalking girls and young women.        community level, also needs to be supported.

         girls safer
                                                                                                   Public discussion: this may range from formal                  Allies and champions: changing behaviour and accepted
                                                                                                   discussions, led by girls and young women, in community        social attitudes means everyday acts of courage
                                                                                                   centres, schools and colleges to city-wide public              and kindness from us all but especially from leaders:
                                                                                                   hearings taking place in the centres that have been            those whose words and behaviour in society count

         in the city
                                                                                                   identified by girls and young women as hostile spaces.         for something in the public sphere. Active bystander
                                                                                                   This in turn should generate media coverage and more           campaigns need to encourage a “call it out” culture,
                                                                                                   public discussion. It is important to create space for         helping everyone to challenge and call out toxic
                                                                                                   girls and young women to lead the conversation about           behaviour. Recruiting and celebrating champions, who
                                                                                                   discrimination in cities without fear of recrimination –       have listened to and take seriously the experiences of

                                                                 enforcement                       encouraging media and civic campaigns to include the
                                                                                                   voices of girls and young women and creating platforms
                                                                                                                                                                  girls and young women, is also important. They may
                                                                                                                                                                  be politicians, celebrities from media, sport and culture,
                                                                    Legislation and policy         and processes for their ongoing participation in managing      business women and men, head teachers or football
                                                                           change                  the urban environment. The stories that girls tell about       managers. The work cannot be left to girls and young
                                                                                                   their experiences in public spaces need to be publicly         women alone: girls do not need “protectors” but they
                                                                  Training and targeting of        heard and addressed in the corridors of power.                 want people to stand by them. They are entitled to
                                                                       frontline staff
                                                                                                                                                                  respect and have the right to safety and freedom. They
                                                                                                                                                                  must also be supported to take their proper place as
                                                                                                                                                                  decision makers around the issues that affect their lives.
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