#LifeInLeggings provides safe space against sexual harassment

WHEN Ronelle King, a Barbadian, started an online movement called #LifeInLeggings on November 24, 2016 as a safe space for Caribbean women to share their experiences with sexual harassment, little did she know that within mere minutes it would go viral and bring forth the harsh reality and experiences of many women in the region.

“It was a culmination of personal experiences of rape, sexual harassment and assault that made me reach the breaking point that birthed this idea. Within half an hour, my timeline was filled with posts using the hashtag. Men were messaging me to tell me that they had no idea that it was this bad for women. They admitted that at times they have contributed to the problem and they pledged not only to take accountability for their own actions, but to also not stand idly by when a woman is being harassed or assaulted,” King told All Woman.

“Nine Caribbean countries were using the hashtag. It took over Facebook and Twitter, while also filtering into Tumblr and Instagram. It was both powerful and empowering to watch women who had been abused break their silence one by one. They comforted each other and empowered other women to share their stories. Those who were afraid to do so opted to share their stories anonymously through our team, friends, or strangers who had empowered them with their own stories. There was also a backlash, which was to be expected, but instead of letting it silence them, they drowned out the misogyny with their stories and statuses of liberation,” she said.

Now King, whose official title is founder and director of Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence, wants to move the conversation offline in order to ensure that the message resonates when people close their browsers.

“Every year many women lose their lives in Jamaica due to gender-based violence. Social media awareness is a great first step, but action must follow to be able to eradicate the violence towards women. According to police data, 470 women and girls were murdered in 2016. In order for change to happen, people need to continue to see the message even when they close their browsers,” she said.

“The message also needs to reach those who may not have access to the online conversation. Taking the conversation offline can allow for an examination and tackling of the everyday harassment/assault women face from street harassment to domestic violence. Not to mention female objectification on party flyers and marketing campaigns to derogatory lyrics, especially in soca and dancehall.”

Apart from increased awareness to gender-based violence, King said in addition to properly funded rape crisis centres and centres for abused women, people behind the campaign would like to see educational material regarding consent being more accessible for the general public, and acknowledgement of the factors that hinder children and adults from wanting to report cases of sexual and physical abuse to persons in authority.

She added that sensitivity training to those who will have to work with victims of gender-based violence and better implementation of laws that are there to benefit victims among other societal reforms are also part of the campaign goals.

“Our main mission is to put support systems in place to educate the public about the trauma caused by sexual abuse and the ways in which the community can come together to prevent abuse, protect and create conditions in which victims of abuse can be healed. To be able to achieve this, we must first examine how we got to this point and how we move forward to dismantle the patriarchal system that affects both men and women,” she said.

UN Women Caribbean has reached out to offer assistance to help Life In Leggings achieve their goal. Taitu Heron, national programme coordinator of UN Women Jamaica Programme Office, said it will be a regional programme looking at providing support to community-based work not just for the campaign, but for women regarding access to services and locally implementing the National Strategic Action Plan to eliminate gender-based violence.

Heron said moving the conversation offline will help women heal from the trauma of rape, sexual violence or molestation.

“There are a lot more stories to tell, a lot more pain to be shared, but it can’t stay where it is, it has to be moved to another level of finding recovery, healing and coping skills,” Heron said.

King maintained that her story is one out of millions, and the movement is about Caribbean women deciding to break their silence and the cycle of abuse by taking back the power that was stolen from them.

“Though every day is a struggle in terms of sexual harassment and being hyper vigilant in an attempt to prevent sexual assault, I had a few occurrences last year that really made me scared to leave my house even to go to work. I was almost pulled into a vehicle at the bus stop after declining a ride from a stranger. I ran to a nearby friend’s house and when I thought it was safe, I made my way to the police station to make a report. The male police officer to whom I attempted to relay my experience responded indifferently, resulting in no report ever being taken. I had to then make my way to work and continue about my day as though nothing had happened. I suffered night terrors long after the initial incident, and as a result I didn’t feel safe in my own country. I, like the hundreds of women who had shared on the hashtag, was tired of accepting that nothing can be done about this and that we just have to accept it. We have had enough and we’re fighting back; we simply refuse to suffer in silence one more day. We’re no longer accepting the narrative that men are incapable of harassing/assaulting us. We’re no longer accepting that we are to blame for the things that have been done to us. We’re forcing a change in our culture where women are respected, and taking a stand against gender-based violence. I encourage everyone following #lifeinleggings to spend some time in reflection and introspect on their experiences with sexual violence and how women are regarded in society; think about how you can support and empathise with survivors and how you can keep the discussion going within your family, among your peers and in your community.”