Occupy SLO group to hold women’s rights seminar today

From The San Luis Obispo Tribune:

The Occupy SLO group will hold a women’s rights and empowerment teach-in seminar today at 4:30 p.m. at the county courthouse, across from the government center on Monterey Street.

The session will include discussions about street harassment and what to do about it; the history of women’s rights and the women’s rights movement; information on rape crisis, shelters and other resources; and, possibly, a short selfdefense course.

The anti-war group Food Not Bombs will provide food beginning at 6 p.m.

“I’ve Got Your Back” Campaign

At the Change the Status Quo Conference (details in the post below), we really want to discuss “the bystander.” People should strive to be independent and self-reliant, but being a victim of street/sexual harassment is not a choice. It is something uncomfortable, confusing, scary and upsetting, and it is not always easy to react in the way you want to. However, the bystander can act. The bystander is often not paralyzed by fear, can safely use a phone, show support for the victim, and/or intervene.

Hollaback! has a campaign called “I’ve Got Your Back” that addresses the need for bystander intervention and support. It started with Nicole Briggs, a woman who stood up to a sexual harasser on a subway, and with the assistance of bystanders, had him arrested. Her actions were documented on a cell phone and this video made the rounds on the Internet, getting over one million views on YouTube. Briggs is now a regular contributor to Hollaback and a great example for all of us.

Hollaback! (and hopefully this conference workshop) will fight the bystander effect tooth and nail. We can stop people becoming victims by looking out for the strangers, neighbors, homies, family members, roommates, etc. who want to walk down the street without fear.

Women’s Safety Committee and Change the Status Quo

Hollaback! SLO is presenting at the Winter 2012 meeting of the Women’s Safety Committee at Cal Poly today (Jan 31, 2012)! We are very excited about this opportunity, and hope that we can develop a partnership with this organization.

Earlier this quarter, we ran our first workshop as part of the Gender Equity Center’s “Week of Wellness” at Cal Poly (Jan 10, 2012). It was attended by  15-16 students and staff members.

On Sat Feb 11, we are running a workshop at the 10th annual Change the Status Quo conference at Cal Poly. Change the Status Quo is designed to educate and network activists on multiple issues, bringing together people who share a passion for making a difference in their community and the world. The conference encourages participants to challenge stereotypes, demand solutions, and use education to make lasting changes. The theme—Educate, Motivate and then Activate—aims to give participants tangible tools to be effective advocates for social change.

We are thrilled that our CSQ workshop proposal was accepted! Learn more about the Change the Status Quote conference and register here: http://studentlife.calpoly.edu/communitycenter/quo/index.asp

Mark Your Calendars – Meet Us On the Street: International Anti-Street Harassment Week, Mar 18-24 2012

http://www.meetusonthestreet.org/

Catcalls, sexist comments, flashing, groping, stalking, and assault. During International Anti-Street Harassment Week, community members, activists, students, and bloggers join forces to speak out about gender-based street harassment and work toward solutions.