AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MAURITIUS SECTION CONCERT

Amnesty International is giving a concert this sunday 21 March 2010 at Port-Louis pertaining to the launch of the new campaign "ANTI-COMMUNALISME". You are all invited as from 16hr to end at 18.30.
Venue: Caudan

Fam a Fam: Samedi 26 Septam

case #7

Bonjour, mon histoire est non seulement choquante mais aussi humiliant! Comme tous les matins, je prend le bus pour Port Louis pour me rendre au boulot et là dans le bus était assis un pervers à côté de moi. J'ai l'habitude de m'asseoir du côté de la fenêtre pour pouvoir faire un petit somme vu que la route est assez longue. Je ne me doutais pas que la personne à côté de moi avait de mauvaises intentions.

Je me suis endormie, les rideaux tiré pour ne pas être dérangée par le soleil et alors j'ai senti une main contre moi. Au début j'ai pensé qu'il n'y avait pas beaucoup de place sur le siège et je n'y ai pas porté attention. Mais ensuite j'ai senti cette même main me toucher. Le pire est qu'il avait un gros sac et que personne ne voyait et moi je n'osais pas tiré les rideaux de peur que les autres automobilistes voient ce qu'il me faisait.

Il a continué à le faire pendant toute la durée du trajet. J'étais terrorisée. Il se touchait le pénis qui était bien sure en dehors de son pantalon. Je vous jure que je suis restée immobile et aujourd'hui je me sens coupable de n'avoir rien fait. Je ne comprend pas non plus comment je n'ai pu faire quoique ce soit. J'ai tout simplement subit. C'était ignoble, je me suis sentie rabaissée. A la fin il m'a dit "merci mamzelle. Li ti bien doux, ou bien pommer" et quand il s'est levé pour descendre il m'a dit "pa gagne tracas prochaine fois mo pou occupe seki en bas la." J'ai eu un choc! Depuis, je le vois presque tous les jours. Je l'évite mais j'ai peur

Case #6

One day I was walking down the street when a cyclist came near my side pinch my boobs and then cycled away. I was stunned and continued to watch the cyclist riding away. It took me time to realise what really did happen. While riding away the cyclist showed me the middle finger and said in a vulgar way that he would have his way with me. He started to insult me because I was looking at him right in his eyes. I wanted to memorise his face before he was gone. At the next junction he was out of sight. A little further I ran to the passerby and asked if they had seen a man of fair complexion with a barb in blue jacket on his cycle. The ‘passerby’ actually said it was his friend and asked me why I wanted to know. I said he was riding in front of me and a five hundred note fell off his jackets. I asked for his name and address which he gave.

I ran home and phone the police. I told them what happened and even told them that the man would be back in half an hour for his prayer. The policeman told me that I must know the exact place where he lives, to go back in half an hour to see if the man was really there for his prayer and then to phone them again and then only they would talk to him.

I did not go back to the place where he would be praying, firstly because I was not allowed to and secondly because all would result in my humiliation while he would have only a few talk from the policeman.

Pseudonym: Priya, 29yrs old.

New: Send Us Your Stories by SMS

Now there are two ways for you to send us your stories of harassment. Email us at svaw.aims@gmail.com or submit a story via text message (SMS) to 726-8844. Break the silence and help us ensure all women and girls are treated with respect by speaking out about this important issue.

Campaign Officially Launched!

Amnesty International Mauritius Section is launching “Respekte Nu,” a four-month sensitization campaign against street harassment, a human rights violation that many girls and women experience on a regular basis.

Street harassment is sexual harassment that occurs in public spaces and is a form of violence against women. Research recently conducted by Alyssa Fine on behalf of Soroptimist International Ipsae Mauritius revealed that harassment targets may feel afraid, ashamed, annoyed, uncomfortable, guilty and frustrated. Efforts made by women and girls to avoid experiencing street harassment lead to severe restrictions on their opportunities, mobility, productivity and independence.

The campaign will use several mediums, including traditional above-the-line media, music, art, theater and face-to-face training sessions, to educate the public about the nature and harm of street harassment. It will also convey the message that women always have the right to feel safe and respected in public, regardless of what they are wearing and when and where they go out.
Primary campaign events include a forum for women and girls in September, a concert with musicians and comedians in October, and art exhibits and Take Back the Night marches and activities in November. These will be supplemented by two media campaigns and awareness-raising on a grassroots level.

This campaign emerges from the results of Alyssa’s study, in which she found that girls and women of all ages experience street harassment in a number of forms, including: whistling, hissing, sexual or explicit comments, staring, following and even assault.

“Whether it disrupts their work, their school, or their leisure activities, or influences their choice of clothing or facial expressions,” writes Alyssa in her report on the study, “street harassment clearly makes women unequal to men in Mauritius and limits women’s ability to enjoy all their human rights.”

Amnesty International’s campaign will be the first step in addressing this source of inequality. By raising public awareness of street harassment, it will pave the way for lasting changes in the way women and girls are treated while in public.

Night Club Harassment?

From tropicscope.com:

Looking at the types of cars in the parking, it is clear that "Les Enfants Terribles" enjoys a clientele of relatively rich people but the success of the place is in offering to this clientele the possibility to watch younger people, and attractive jet-setters having fun. The mood heats up as dawn approaches as many younger people stop by for a last drink.

(Bold added for emphasis)