Palestinian artist urges women to talk about sexual harassment
Nisaa FM: - Palestinian artist Yasmeen Mjalli sends women a clear message. She encourages women to speak out against harassment and abuse. This is the topic of her talk to students at Al-Quds University in the West Bank city of Abu Dis tomorrow on 29 November.
Art project: “I am not your sweetheart”
The meeting is the second phase of Mjalli’s project. The first phase of the project took place in October when Mjalli, equipped with a typewriter, set up a table in front of a banner that read “Do not stay silent on harassment.” Many of the women who passed by offered to share their stories and tell the artist about the sexual harassment they have experienced. The stories she collected will be made into a book, published in English and Arabic, which will be launched in conjunction with an art exhibition.
One of the women who talked to Mjalli tells the following story, on condition of anonymity: “I took part in this project to narrate the harassment I have been subjected to. Refraining from speaking up about harassment is no longer acceptable, particularly since [such incidents] occur everywhere every day,” she says. “I had thought that what happened to me does not happen often. Yet when I took part in the project, I learnt and heard of many stories.”
Mjalli reflects on this and the women’s wish for anonymity, “More than 250 women stopped by the table in Ramallah city center to learn about the campaign and its goal. But only 50 dared to talk and document sexual harassment incidents they were subjected to."
Yasmeen Mjalli's own story
Mjalli was born in the United States and is a graduate of art history from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She moved to Ramallah a year ago and her own experience in the city has inspired her to create an art project addressing sexual harassment in the Palestinian territories.
She says, “I was repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment by men on the street, so I started thinking about a way to counter this issue. I have come to realize that I cannot stop sexual harassment incidents from taking place, but I can help women who have been subjected to sexual harassment raise their voices.”
The upcoming book and artwork will tell the stories of Palestinian women who have suffered sexual harassment in the streets, the workplace or public places. The book will include 200 stories. At the same time, an exhibition in Ramallah will open displaying paintings that portray the issues of harassment and abuse women in Palestine face.
It still happens despite various campaigns against sexual harassment
Various youth and community campaigns have focused on the same topic in the last few years. One of the most famous campaigns was “Do not stay silent … He does not have the right,” a youth campaign that was launched in October 2016 by the Women’s Health Center in the Gaza Strip.
On June 16, 2015, the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy organized a campaign, called “Do not stay silent,” against verbal and physical sexual harassment in the Palestinian territories. The youth campaigns were designed to encourage women to raise their voices against sexual harassment.
Despite these campaigns, the issue of sexual harassment continues to be ignored in the Palestinian territories, due to conservative traditions — and because the connection is made with “the family’s honor.” Because of this mentality, along with the tendency not to report harassment, accurate statistics on harassment and abuse are not available.
Louay Arziqat, a spokesman for the Palestinian police, reports, “Cases of sexual harassment are rarely reported to the police. All of the necessary legal procedures are however taken when a complaint is filed.”
He adds, “We call on all women to file complaints of sexual harassment, and such cases will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.”
The date for the launch of Yasmeen Mjalli’s book is yet to be determined.
Source: www.al-monitor.com