A woman who was subjected to severe harassment while making her way home one night has written a powerful letter to show the reality that many women experience.
Jenny Stanley, from Portmarnock in Dublin, was making her way home from Camden Street to Eden Quay in the city centre on Saturday night when she was verbally assaulted by numerous groups of strangers.
Reflecting on her night, she wrote the following letter to the Irish Times, to show how prevalent sexism and street harassment really are:
It was a Saturday evening, 10.45pm on Camden Street. For me, this was the beginning of my journey home from work and the source of overwhelming feelings of degradation, objectification, anger, fear and raw sadness.
As I reached my bus stop last night, I realised I would have a long wait and so zipped up my long, padded jacket and braced myself against the cold October night. It was not long before it became clear that the cold would be the least of my worries that evening.
As I looked around me at the all too familiar (yet, at the time, harmless) scenes of energetic groups of friends enjoying their weekend, I sensed it was a particularly busy night. There were significant numbers of all-male groups coming from all directions. Now, upon reflection, I can find no word more suitable to describe these groups than 'packs', based on their behaviour towards me, one another and other members of the public.
Stanley next went into detail about the groups of strangers that approached her, and questioned why it was difficult for women to speak out against harassment:
It began with one group member looking directly into my eyes, pointing at me, turning to the others and announcing, 'I fancy that one.' That 'one'. To which another member replied in agreement, suggesting what he might like to do if he got me home. To which another added further details to this imagined scenario in which I was an object with the sole purpose of fulfilling their desires; details which filled me with pure white rage and, if I am honest, questions around my own value as a person.
If I can be seen in this way, I must not be perceived as an equal member of society by these people. Right? My thoughts were supported by the roars of laughter that followed as the group passed me by. They laughed, I became filled with fear. I was alone and it was now screamingly obvious that not only was I a source of entertainment for these groups, but a target.
As I walked briskly by, dodging and ignoring as I went, I noticed the faces of many other women on their own – all looking blankly ahead, also dodging and ignoring. I thought to myself, "Why don't we say something back? Why don't we tell them that we deserve more than to be objectified in this way? Why don't we explain why we respond to their 'compliments' of how attractive we are with a stare of distaste rather than the gratitude they so clearly feel entitled to?
She concluded the letter saying she is "furious" she left the "fear and intimidation" engulf her, and that it won't be the last time she'll experience harassment.
I walked home. I opened the door and sat in my kitchen. I cried. I was so very, very tired. I knew then that just because I was home it did not mean it was all over.
I too am exhausted, not only for myself but for those who have had and will have similar experiences, and the innumerable amount of men who do value and respect women and anyone who believes that gender should not influence a person's right to be viewed as an equal in the eyes of another."
Stanley said the night made her realise she'd become "desensitised to this kind of behaviour" as it was, sadly, very commonplace for women to experience similar incidences.
