'It's about giving people information.' New city campaign looks to fight street harassment
Ads and posters will be displayed on subways, ferries, sidewalks and construction sites in April.
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New York City will roll out a new campaign in April, featuring posters it hopes will help fight street harassment.
According to the New York City Mayor's Office, seven out of 10 New Yorkers have dealt with some sort of street harassment, such as being catcalled, having unwanted pictures taken of them or being touched without their consent in public.
"That's basically New York everywhere you go," said Jilliam Emeric, who lives in Castle Hill.
Hunts Point resident China Melendez says she has dealt with it also, which is why she doesn't like to travel at night.
The signs tell people that what might seem innocent to them can actually be harmful to other people, causing things like fear, anxiety and discomfort.
There is also a link to a website with tools and resources.
"I don't think the signs are really gonna stop anything," Emeric said. "Men are going to be men regardless."
Isaiah Velez, of Morrisania, was also skeptical.
"I don't think people really pay attention to the signs and stuff, but maybe it can make a small difference," he says.
The idea comes from both the City's Street Harassment Prevention Advisory Board, along with Manhattan-based firm Bandujo, which says the designs on the posters are supposed to be jarring.
"What we wanted to do was make people have a visceral reaction to it, so that you feel what people feel when they experience street harassment," said Ana Paz, Bandujo's vice president of Creative Strategy and Account Services.
Officials say that by putting the signs on subways, ferries, sidewalks and even construction sites, it will be impossible for people to ignore them.
"Helping people realize that that is harassment - just to say something that, you know, you're invading that person's space," explained Elsa-Maria Lorenzo, a senior account manager at Bandujo.
The company says similar awareness-based strategies have helped change behavior in the past.
"It's really not about telling someone do this, don't do that," Paz said. "It's about giving people information, putting that thought in their head, to make them pause before they act."
Melendez was somewhat convinced by the logic.
When asked if she thought it might make a difference, she said, "Knowing that it's in a train station and people are aware now....maybe....hopefully so."
