2023-12-22 08:28:00
Ten years after the shocking documentary Femme de la rue made in the city center of Brussels, the situation has not changed. Worse, according to a recent study, everything suggests that the situation has worsened.
The figures are alarming. 83% of women in Belgium have already been harassed in the street and 80% have witnessed it. Whether it is verbal or physical violence. One in five women in Belgium and one in three women in Brussels have already been followed in the street. A third of women in Belgium go so far as to carry an object in their hand, such as a set of keys, a pepper spray or a taser, as a potential weapon. In Brussels, this figure reaches 42%.
It appears from the study carried out for the non-profit association Touche pas à ma pote that women feel abandoned by official authorities. More than 90% of women think that the police and authorities should pay more attention to this problem and offer solutions. 94% think that street harassment should be punished more severely.
Free online training to learn good reflexes as a victim or witness
The survey was carried out among 1,000 women in Belgium. “Enough is enough. These staggering figures highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions and concerted efforts to create a safer and more women-friendly public sphere. Everyone has the right to move freely without fear,” says Bea Ercolini, founder of Touche Pas À Ma Pote, which advises women and witnesses on how to respond in situations of street harassment. Free online training, which only takes 10 minutes, can be followed on this link.
The lack of public lighting reinforces the feeling of insecurity
For several years, public lighting has been turned off more and more frequently, to save money and to combat light pollution. “A good initiative in itself, but it fuels women’s feeling of insecurity: the vast majority of them feel in danger in the dark and would feel safer if the streets were better lit,” explains Bea Ercolini .
In this context, an awareness campaign is being launched this Friday on rue du Botanique in Saint-Josse, entirely decorated with Christmas light garlands, the motifs of which are dedicated to street harassment. The installation shows what women regularly endure when alone on the streets and asks what all women want: “All I want for Christmas is safer streets.” are safer streets).
The problem is greatest in women under 34 and decreases with age, but observations continue to reach problematic proportions even in older age groups. “The most common precautions to avoid getting into trouble include avoiding specific places and times, taking other means of transportation, changing your dress style, talking to someone on the phone, or walking faster than you can. they wouldn’t want it,” concludes Bea Ercolini.
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