END STREET HARASSMENT PGH
What is Street Harassment?
Street harassment is a pervasive problem that affects individuals in cities all around the world, including in Pittsburgh.
The Stop Street Harassment project (SSH) defines gender-based street harassment as “unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent … directed at them because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.”
Street harassment is one of the most prevalent forms of sexual violence in society, and it also includes racist, homophobic, and transphobic comments and behaviors.
Street harassment harms the people who experience it by creating anxiety, repulsion, distraction, and fear of violence. The threat of experiencing street harassment can lead people to avoid public places and to change their own behaviors to try to feel safer in public.
End Street Harassment PGH is dedicated to raising awareness about street harassment in Pittsburgh and to work to eradicate it. We want Pittsburgh to be a community that is welcoming and inclusive for all, where everyone feels safe navigating in public spaces.
15-year-old Black female student
“Got catcalled in Downtown Pittsburgh. I didn’t see the man’s face, I was walking away and he commented on my looks? “You look real nice today, sweetie” was all I heard and then I just started walking really fast.”
13-year-old girl
“You have to expect that type of attention with legs like that”
Street harassment is a significant problem in downtown Pittsburgh, and it is essential to locate the areas where it occurs to address it effectively. Participate in our study to help us map out areas of Pittsburgh where people feel safe and document locations where street harassment takes place.