RESEARCH anD POLICY

RESEARCH

We will address the significant gaps that exist in current research around street harassment to develop a comprehensive understanding of the true extent and impact of street harassment in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana starting with the city of Bangalore.

An overwhelming amount of official research on women facing street harassment already exists in India. One problem with existing research is that the majority of them haven't studied communities with an intersectional approach, i.e. how different factors overlap in causing harassment and how often it happens, be it religion, caste, sexuality, economic status, . Furthermore, even reporting tools available to the public focus on sexist or sexual street harassment.

Over the next 5 years, we will be conducting extensive research (in English, Kannada, Hindi, and Telugu to start) in line with our intersectional approach to ensure that data represents the realities of all communities when it comes to street harassment. This means that we will be gathering data from ALL communities who have faced street harassment, including women but also the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, religious minorities, those who’ve faced casteism, and more.

Only by addressing the significant gaps in current research around street harassment will we be able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the true extent and impact of street harassment in South India. We will do this by collaborating with researchers (local, national, and international).

Existing research for literature analysis:

POLICY

We will support the development of community-led policies focused on the prevention of street harassment through education and cultural change rather than criminalization while involving all stakeholders through every step of the process.

Our goal is to create a society that is equitable and just for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. We believe that by working together, we can create meaningful change that will benefit not only our generation but future generations to come.

To achieve this, we will work with all stakeholders in the long term to jointly develop policies that address the root causes of inequality and injustice concerning street harassment. We will engage with civic and governmental duty-bearers to ensure that jointly developed policies are implemented effectively and that they have a positive impact on the lives of those who need it most.

We recognize that change is not easy and that progress may be slow, but we are committed to staying the course.