A hands-on workshop on how to solve social problems in the digital age
Have you seen or experienced unwelcome attention as you walk down the street - "catcalling", sexual advances, and more? At Hollaback, we use real-life stories to identify the wants, needs, and problems of our community, identify challenges and opportunities, and imagine solutions. You will get to do just that in this hands-on workshop: we will kick off with you interviewing local folks about their experiences with street harassment. You will work in teams to develop ideas for action that leverage digital storytelling, social media, and apps. We will evaluate the existing Hollaback! app as a tool, identify how we can use the app for our Acts, and take the app to the next level. At the end of the workshop, you will walk away with ideas for your contribution to end street harassment in your community. And you will be able to apply Hollaback’s tools and approaches for the development and improvement of ideas over time to your own causes.
About Emily May:
When feminist icon Gloria Steinem was asked "What women today inspire you and make you feel that the movement continues?" Her response was, "Emily May of Hollaback! who has empowered women in the street, literally." Emily is an international leader in the anti-street-harassment movement. In 2005, at the age of 24, she co-founded Hollaback! (iHollaback.org) in New York City, and in 2010 she became the first full-time executive director. Hollaback!’s mission is to give women and LGBTQ folks an empowered response to street harassment, and ultimately, to end it. Emily has a Master’s Degree in Social Policy from the London School of Economics, and is an Ashoka Fellow.
About Alicia Wallace:
Alicia is a writer, blogger, women’s rights advocate, feminist activist, and social commentator. She has worked with female youth at risk of homelessness as a full time live-in, and has mentored young entrepreneurs for 8 years. Alicia works closely with local NGOs to advance their causes, using social media to bring international awareness to local issues, thereby compelling government leaders to respond. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with concentrations in Economics and Finance from St. Mary’s University in Nova Scotia. And less we forget, she is also Director of Hollaback! Bahamas and co-founder of Coalition to End Gender-based Violence in The Bahamas.
The real motive of street harassment is intimidation. To make its target scared or uncomfortable, and to make the harasser feel powerful. But what if there was a simple way to take that power away by exposing it? You can now use your smartphone to do just that by documenting, mapping, and sharing incidents of street harassment. Join an entire community ready to Hollaback!
Hollaback is a movement to end street harassment powered by a network of local activists around the world. They work together to better understand street harassment, to ignite public conversations, and to develop innovative strategies to ensure equal access to public spaces.
