Streets tell stories of power relations among people. They tell stories about economic, political and social power. We may walk back and forth in a single street till we become familiar and unconsciously accept the power dynamics that exist without questioning how they came to be the way they are. One day, I woke up with the intention to understand how street harassment is related to power expression and actions that occur daily in public spaces that are difficult to describe as “harassment”.
I write while the Lebanese October 17th protests – ‘Thawra’- is still ongoing on the streets from the north to the south of Lebanon. Since day one, women were on the front lines, protesting their corrupted system, raising their voices by leading chants in the streets, organizing themed protests, forming buffer zones between military men and the rest of protesters to ensure peace, and even kick armed men in the nuts who threatened to open fire on protesters.
Coming from a very traditional society as Yemen, I always seek to find common grounds between Yemeni women's Muslim identity and their belief in gender equality.