Communication and Experiences of Street Sexual Harassment: Impact on Women's Lives in Spain

Abstract

The unwanted interactions that women suffer in public spaces have historically been ignored. This is the most normalized gender violence, masked as courtship, which has become one of the most common human rights violations. In order to analyze and deepen the impact of Street Sexual Harassment in the lives of women in Spain, a qualitative research was conducted through in-depth interviews. The results show that Sexual Street Harassment is a social problem that affects the majority of women in Spain, especially the youngest ones. This type of violence is perpetrated by unknown men, provoking negative feelings and changes in the lifestyle of the victims, such as restrictions in their mobility. In short, public space has become a threat to women, where they suffer different types of violence that threaten their freedom and physical and moral integrity, but which is still not given sufficient importance.