EDITORIAL: Part of the culture

There has been widespread discussion on an article penned by Hong Kong journalist Andrea Lo and initially published in the Business Insider publication. The article chronicles some of  Ms Lo’s experiences with sexual harassment while she was living in Barbados via the Welcome Stamp programme which is being touted as a strong revenue earner for the island. The programme has had mixed reviews as some have argued that although there were many successful applicants, less than half had actually made the move to Barbados. However, others look at the relatively high dollar value earned from applications and related fees.

The article explained that Ms Lo had to leave the island because she was overwhelmed by the prevalence of street harassment on the island and no longer felt safe.

This is not the first time such issues have been raised but as usual they are discreetly brushed under the carpet until the next public statement on the issue is made. Some members of the public have taken the issue even further by suggesting that this is only the tip of the iceberg in an island where the law courts are often forced to deal with persons charged with rape and sexual assaults, often these persons are family members and family friends of under aged victims. This suggests that there is an overall culture of sexual deviance in Barbados and the region which is reflected in public as street harassment of women and even sometimes of men.

Ms Lo described the harassment she experienced while walking alone on the streets and on the beach in Barbados during the day time. The recounts in the article are therefore a blow dealt to the welcome stamp programme and are especially a deterrent to solo female travellers. The article could also be detrimental to the tourism industry as a whole.

The scary thing about the article is that Ms Lo’s recount of her experiences appears to be  normal and relatable to women living in Barbados. They are everyday experiences of local women. Many women who are born and raised here were not aware that there are places in this world where a woman could walk around in public in a form-fitting dress without bracing herself for comments about her body from strangers she encounters.  It might even be a seemingly harmless “Put a smile on your face” but even such statements are enough to make a woman feel uncomfortable.

The fact is that there is a hair-thin line between harassment and friendliness or being polite. Some have taken to social media to try to explain the difference between the two. Many have stated that women begin to feel uncomfortable because of the tone or the vulgarity of the words used. Some men, having read the article, have also taken to social media to ask for advice on how to respectfully address women on the street who they might find attractive and want to compliment.

Sadly there is no clear guideline that can be given as everyone is different and some women are more sensitive to comments and unsolicited attention than others. The best thing to do is to try to read the body language of the person. You can often tell if a person is not interested in having conversation or being spoken to. If you are close enough that a comment would not cause further attention from persons nearby it might be acceptable to say a phrase such as beautiful or lovely but the safest option is to admire in silence.

Any person should be able to walk around comfortably without fear, but that is hardly possible here. However, if no one speaks, then how will people meet each other and start relationships and friendships? A change in culture is necessary.