Jogging like running a gauntlet
Provocative comments, whistles, stares, blocking of the path - women are confronted with experiences like these again and again during running training. This can not only make them feel insecure, sometimes it even leads them to stop running altogether. Harassment is not an individual problem, but a collective one, says expert Sara Hassan - and the solution must therefore also be a collective one.
By Lena Hager
The running season is in full swing again, with running events like the Vienna City Marathon just around the corner. The fact that women are disturbed, harassed and stared at while running, and that they therefore have to change their habits and train under completely different conditions than men, is often overlooked. Social networks are full of reports about negative experiences. Patrizia, who has been running regularly in Vienna for years, also repeatedly experiences whistles or shouts when she trains in shorts in the summer. In an interview with ORF Topos (see video), she describes threatening situations, such as when cars drive up slowly next to her, the window goes down and she is simply stared at.
Claim to public space
Harassment in public space is related to the question of who owns public space, explains journalist and publicist Sara Hassan, who researches harassment and abuse of power. Hassan sees this as an expression of a sense of entitlement and in this context refers to an observation from sociology: men tend to walk straight ahead and make little or no room for oncoming passersby. Women, on the other hand, are conditioned to avoid other people in public spaces. This phenomenon shows well how the spectrum is shaped that depicts this attitude of entitlement to public space, says Hassan: "Here it becomes clear who automatically claims the space for themselves and whom the others have to make room for. But public space belongs to everyone, and everyone should be able to move around freely. However, not everyone sees it that way. Harassment then becomes an instrument to demonstrate power and assert this claim." Public space thus becomes a site for negotiating power dynamics and the question of accessibility.
Focus on oneself
Natascha Marakovits-Wukovits is a sports psychologist and marathon runner. She too knows the experience of being subjected to comments or whistles while running in the city. Women's bodies are subjected to much more evaluation, whether on the job or in sports, Marakovits-Wukovits says. In such situations, she advises changing your focus - away from the outside and toward yourself. "To those who make stupid comments, I don't give them the power to determine what sport I do. It can be helpful to focus on your own needs and not too much on how the outside world is reacting." And, she points out, "The comments are usually made by those who aren't running."
Headphones can help ignore such situations and stay with yourself, Marakovits-Wukovits said. "I listen to my favorite music and don't let my focus drift outside." Of course, that's only recommended during the day on busy and safe routes, she said. In addition, it can be useful to become aware of your own motives and goals, she says: Why am I running and what does it give me? To increase the feeling of safety, a self-defense course can also help, says the sports psychologist.
Lack of moral courage
The sports psychologist's tips for strengthening self-confidence are one thing; the other is how society deals with such incidents or combats them. Harassment always happens in a social context and is not an individual but a collective problem, Hassan clarifies. This means that a collective solution must be found. It is difficult, he says, when other people witness an incident but do not feel responsible for reacting to it. In this way, the responsibility remains with the person affected.
"Harassment is a collective problem and a public issue, not something that affects two individuals."
Sara Hassan
Sara Hassan
In this context, according to Hassan, the bystander effect can play a role, which leads to eyewitnesses of a harassment incident not reacting. Because when everyone could potentially get involved, the opposite often happens: no one does anything. Responsibility is delegated to each other. However, this is only true until the first person intervenes, and then others usually follow. For Hassan, the bystander effect also holds important potential: "I can be the one first person to say something about it."
Anger over restricted freedom of movement
In social networks, women report that they limit their running training or stop it altogether after unpleasant experiences. Behavioral changes are also thematized, often accompanied by anger and annoyance at even having to think about it. For example, tops with necklines or shorts are avoided, which reduces the enjoyment of running, especially in the increasingly hot summers. A Topos survey in Vienna's Prater (see video) shows that many female runners don't want to let it get them down. They try to ignore comments, stares or whistles and often avoid dark, lonely areas.
Urban planning called for
A greater sense of security is also worth striving for from an urban planning perspective. For the city of Vienna, it is an important planning goal to avoid urban and structural "scare areas" when developing new areas and to increase social control in a positive sense. This starts with urban planning, where attention is paid to clear routes. But also mixed uses in an area increase the feeling of safety and the frequency in the public space, said the City of Vienna in a statement to ORF Topos. To promote safety aspects in urban development, park design and housing, the city relies on manuals and planning recommendations on gender planning. In new urban development areas such as Seestadt or Sonnwendviertel, for example, day-night alternatives are offered. At night, for example, a path could be chosen along the residential development instead of the path through the park.
Compliments that are not compliments
In any case, when men are asked about their behavior, there are always reactions along the lines of "I was just being nice. For Hassan, this shows that there is no awareness of power imbalances here and that those affected are in a vulnerable situation. Women learn from an early age what they have to watch out for in order to get through public space unharmed. "Individuals who are in a position of power and do not experience such things downplay this dynamic. Harassment in public spaces always crosses boundaries, encroaches on bodily integrity and can escalate quickly." Raising awareness of harassment against female runners was championed by a campaign in the U.K. in 2021, supported by Women's Running magazine and others. Under the hashtag #WeWill, the campaign's concerns could be spread on social networks, such as becoming an eyewitness to incidents of harassment or raising awareness. And the sporting goods manufacturer adidas also wants to take action against harassment of women while running with its initiative "The Ridiculous Run," which was launched in March 2023. "It's negotiating and fighting for a shared space that belongs to all of us," Hassan explains, making it clear: "Because it's a collective feeling, there's an opportunity to organize more collectively."
Lena Hager (text and design), ORF Topos, Selina Maurovich (camera), for ORF Topos, Sarah Goldschmidt (editing), for ORF Topos.
Source (Austria)
