79page

79 ‘We should be aWare that sexual violence is something that can either happen to me or be done by me.’ — lee mi-kyoung, ewha Womans university professor group, but remains passionate about the need to support victims of sexual violence. After being haunted by harassment for most of her life, Chelle B. Mille used her trauma to start a branch of a global organization dedicat- ed to helping people going through similar ex- periences by giving them space to speak out. “Harassment for me started at 11 years old in Chicago and it’s followed me through Japan, through D.C., through Korea, everywhere that I’ve lived,” she said. “And when I was 11 and being harassed, I don’t know where I got the idea that it was my fault, and I don’t know where I got the idea that I couldn’t tell some- body about it, but it took a long time to come forward and tell my mom.” Her mom’s reaction and the actions she took afterward helped Mille understand that it wasn’t her fault. “But I don’t know if everybody gets the op- portunity to have a conversation,” she said. “I have a lot of friends who never spoke up about harassment starting that young.” She launched Hollaback! Korea in December with two others and it is part of an internation- al movement active in 79 cities in 26 countries that is devoted to stopping street harassment. The group in Korea, which has since grown to 23 members hailing from different countries, encourages people to share stories on their website as a way to raise awareness about the issue and build a community of support for harassment victims. “We don’t know what our rights are some- times until we get to talking with other people,” Mille said. They also urge people to demonstrate their support by intervening when they see harass- ment or violence. Their website offers advice about ways to intervene, from checking in with the victim, to distracting or otherwise interrupting the harasser, to appealing to an authority figure for help. The site also has a list of organizations that provide assistance to harassment victims, some of which can arrange emergency shelter and accompany women to court or to the po- lice station, and a mobile app that enables us- ers to share information about sexual assault, sexual harassment and school bullying. There is also a map that tracks harassment in the city by allowing users to pinpoint incidents of harassment or intervention and share details about what they’ve experienced or observed. However, Mille says people are not always aware of all of the things that constitute ha- rassment, because some behaviors, like cat- calling, have become normalized, and people don’t always understand consent. “When I first came to Korea in 2006 I was warned that if I went to a motel room with a man it was considered consent for anything that would happen. I think this was a common thing,” she said. Still, the lines between what is and isn’t clas- sified as harassment, as well as between the various types of harassment that can occur, are murky at best. “You know, harassment is really a very inter- sectional thing and even sexual harassment is very intersectional,” she said. “Almost nobody can divorce sexual harassment from the ele- ments of racism in it or the elements of clas- sism or homophobia or transphobia. So sexual harassment is sort of like the main buzzword, but all of the incidents that we’re seeing have elements of a lot things in them.” Ultimately, she says it’s “the person who experienced the violence — their definition of the event is the most important one.” But even if it’s clear that harassment has taken place, it often takes another leap to get to the next step — reporting the incident. Mille says people don’t always come forward to re- port harassment because in some cases they fear retribution from those around them. “Making the decision solo, you really have to have a level of trust that it’s going to be taken seriously,” she said.” When Burke was victimized in the United States, she recalled, she was treated like the criminal and many of her closest friends sided with her attacker. “I don’t want to paint flowers or glittery bits on it. If you do report, it’s a hard journey,” she said. “And it sucks because it’s right in your face, it’s naked, it’s bare who your real friends are.” She explains that reality in two words: rape culture. “Was she drinking that night? What was she wearing? … All those things blame the victim,” she said. “Nobody is saying ‘why did this man rape her?’ or ‘why did she rape this man?’” A rape culture also creates an atmosphere of doubt about assault victims, she said. “We assume they’re lying.” She praised Lori Michael for refusing to withdraw her complaint and would advise any- one in a similar situation to report the incident. “Stand your ground,” she said. “Know that you have sisters around, … ’cause you’re not alone. … Keep fighting, ’cause you’ve got warriors behind you whether you know it or not.” RESOuRCES Disruptive voices Disruptive Voices is a community project under Varyd that seeks to build a strong community of support for people who desire, demand and aim to speak for change and empowerment. Find them on Facebook or email them at disruptivevoices@gmail.com. Hollaback! Korea Hollaback! Korea was launched in December as part of an international movement to stop street harassment. Visit korea.ihollaback.org or fnd them on Facebook. Korea Women’s Hotline Find them at enghotline.tistory.com or call (02) 3156-5400. 30 Relief centers operated by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Call 1899-3075 (national number). Operators refer callers to the nearest one-stop center or to the Sunfower Children’s Center. Seoul Survivor Services Find them on Facebook or email seoulsurvivorservices@gmail.com. Jeolla Safety Alliance Find them on Facebook. Korea Sexual violence Relief Center Visit their website at www.sisters.or.kr or email them at ksvrc@sisters.or.kr (English and Korean). Migrant Women’s Emergency Support Services Call 1577-1366 for counseling and assistance available in 11 languages or visit their website at www.wm1366.or.kr. The Korean Gender Café Visit the website at koreangendercafe. blogspot.kr. Ilda: South Korean Feminist Journal Visit the website at ildaro.blogspot.kr for articles translated from English to Korean.