Laura Bates: What to do next about 'Everyday Sexism'

Laura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. Photo / Getty

Opinion

I started the Everyday Sexism Project in April 2012 to catalogue testimonies of gender inequality. Frustrated by the lack of awareness about the problem, I wanted to shine a light on the sexual harassment, discrimination and assault faced by women and girls on a daily basis. Three years later, the project has reached 100,000 entries. I'm not sure whether to celebrate or mourn the milestone.

What I can say with certainty is that I want to see change. And the project entries have given me a number of ideas about how to prevent the next 100,000 incidents from happening.

1. Bystander Intervention

A huge number of entries to the project end with phrases like: "It was a packed carriage, and nobody said a word". Whether in public spaces or in the workplace, a resounding message is that there is often little response to sexual harassment from those around the victim.

This is sometimes understandable - people might be scared of stepping in, or worried about causing a situation to escalate. But in many cases a bystander could challenge what's happening - and that kind of reaction is vital if we want to change the sexist status quo.

2. Compulsory Sex and Relationships Education

We know that young people are growing up confused about sex and gender roles. Online porn can present a misogynistic idea of sex. Young people are confused about rape, and don't realise that it's possible for a boy to rape his own girlfriend. We desperately need to give young people the tools to navigate these issues, by providing compulsory, age-appropriate sex and relationships education.

3. Workplace Flexibility

For many women, being held back in the workplace because of their choice to have a family is a very real fear.

Estimates suggest that up to 50,000 women every year are forced out of their jobs as a result of maternity discrimination. We need to start thinking of childcare as a parents' issue, not a women's issue.

4. Clear Policies for Universities on Dealing with Sexual Harassment and Assault

My project entries from students who have been harassed or assaulted reveal that they have little confidence that they will be taken seriously or believed if they come forward. Many experience victim-blaming.

It is not enough for universities to respond to such incidents in an inconsistent and ad hoc manner. Clear guidelines should be developed.

4. Media Responsibilty

It's 2015, yet we're still living in an age where the appointment of new women to the cabinet results in "Downing Street Catwalk" headlines alongside descriptions of their clothes and make-up; where pieces of women's bodies are magnified in "circles of shame" on the front of magazines; where business women's stellar job appointments are heralded under the title "mother of three" and sexual violence is still sometimes reported in a titillating or victim-blaming manner in our national press.

It would be encouraging to see the media take a lead in challenging gender inequality rather than perpetuating it.

No single action or policy shift will solve the problem outright, but we can only tackle it if businesses, politicians, schools, universities and individuals act together to create change.

- Independent