Street Harassment of Women in Lahore: Experiences, Consequences and Reporting Mechanism

Abstract

Purpose: Urbanization, Women’s participation in education and work, and the patriarchal structure of Pakistani society are challenging women in urban communities, especially for their mobility. The present study aims to revolve around the experiences, consequences, and reactions of street harassment among young females of Urban Lahore. This study also aims to explore the perceptions of young females about public safety and comfort by exploring the reactions and reporting mechanism of young females to Street Harassment.  Design/Methodology/Approach: The research stance is interpretive consisting of 20 in-depth interviews of females between the ages of 18-35 years from Lahore. The sampling technique was snowball sampling and the data is transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings: The major findings of the present research show that the bus stops and terminals are the major places of street harassment and the perpetrators of street harassment come from all walks of life. Young females have social, emotional, and physical consequences of such kind of harassment. There are many social and cultural barriers, including patriarchal society and its socialization patterns, blaming the victims and considering it a harmless act which stops women to report it legally but they started to talk about it, especially in informal settings. Implications/Originality/Value: Women need to have some support from their families and even from the passers in dealing with public or street harassment by not considering it a harmless act.