It’s pretty hard to fight a form of sexual violence if it doesn’t even have a name in your native tongue. That’s the problem here in Indonesia: You’d be hard pressed to meet a girl or woman who has never been catcalled, groped, or otherwise sexually violated in public spaces. But most folks don’t know what street harassment is or why it shouldn’t be tolerated. The closest phrases we use to describe this unacceptable behavior, pelecehan di tempat umum (harassment in a public place) or pelecehan di jalanan (street harassment) are almost as foreign to most Indonesians as their English equivalents. But thanks to the creativity of Hollaback! Jakarta, we’ve got a plan to deliver a language lesson to the masses! Bersama Project is proud to team up with anti-street harassment coalition Hollaback! and rape and sexual abuse survivor support group Lentera Indonesia to take to the streets and literally scrawl on the pavement just exactly what street harassment is, and why Indonesian women are not going to take it anymore. Those in the Jakarta area: Join us this Sunday on car-free day, just in front of the Graha Niaga building on Jalan Sudirman. We’ll bring the chalk. You bring the message you’d like to deliver to thousands!
















