Comments on: Fight Or Flight? Handling Sexual Harassment In Sierra Leone

By: Deepak Singh Rawat

Deepak Singh Rawat — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:49:33 +0000

I think if you know the local language and doesn’t look too lost then people are discouraged to take advantage of you. Knowing the local language is a very important tool to avoid any conflict and to seek help when in distress. People try to take advantage of someone who looks out-of-place. The other thing is to avoid places which you know are dangerous. If you have to go to any such place then I would suggest not to go alone.

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By: Lango Deen

Lango Deen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:26:33 +0000

allison, i am a sierra leonean woman and i recognize a lot of the behavior you describe. for what it’s worth, those personalities didn’t/don’t fit well with mine, or with a lot of women and girls in sierra leone, either. that women haven’t done more to fight for respect beats me, too. but the longer you spend in sierra leone and understand what you see, the more perspective you get on why it’s not a fight you’ll want to take up. for the rest of your stay, i suggest that you take a trusted male friend with you as somebody suggested. good luck and enjoy your stay. kind regards, lango deen

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By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:56:15 +0000

lol…Apparently, a lot of you are-get over it. Truth hurts. Certain countries have a lot of this behavior, this one being no exception.

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By: redspyda

redspyda — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000

hmmm I am sierra leonean male leaving in the US and I will say that not all sierra leonean men behave that way. I dont think it is any worse than women receive anywhere in the world. That doesnt make it right, but it just seemed that it was generalized. There are pigs everywhere

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By: Andrea

Andrea — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:19:32 +0000

Strange that there are so few comments on this article, which brings up a very universal experience for women when traveling (and at home), in contrast to the article on a male traveler seeking companionship with a young Asian girl. (7/02/09, White Man-Asian girl..who decides the nature of love?).
I received a lot of attention from men when traveling and studying in Cuba and it was amplified by the invisible dollar sign on my forehead. I came to a place of peace instead of fear or irritation since it was an opportunity to talk to Cubans and learn something about their life. I just had to say no a lot and hear a lot of rather randy Spanish. Only once did things heat up a bit too much in a scary way.

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By: Liz @ extremetelecommute

Liz @ extremetelecommute — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:09:58 +0000

Allison, I completely understand the frustration. I’ve traveled extensively in Central America, where the machismo tradition is alive and well–and as a blonde woman with blue eyes and pale skin, the harassment can be impossible to bear. I try to follow the example of local women and ignore the comments, but at times–like when men grope me in the street–it’s all I can do to keep my cool.

For the sake of my sanity, I find it cathartic to vent with other solo female travelers and compare stories; I also take every opportunity to discuss the issue with local men, who are often surprised to learn that their behavior is upsetting.

And it’s so great to read articles like this one, to know that I’m not alone!

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By: Meli

Meli — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:59:00 +0000

You may want to take what the female colleague told you and try it. It’s not about appeasing but more going with the flow. As long as these men know you’re already married, and u joke around may be it may not be so bad.

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By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:17:39 +0000

From my experience in South Asia and getting groped by men on streets and buses (and truthfully, from my home in Brooklyn) responding to passing comments is giving the attention they seek. Responding that you are committed to someone as well as your work wards off temporarilarly. But in the end, when the hands come up, the best advice in South Asia was to respond “do you have a mother? a sister? how would you like that if someone did that to her?” For South Asian culture, grounding them by using family values shamed them — and that was key.
Best thing to do is listen to a local and do as she says.

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By: Mandino

Mandino — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:57:55 +0000

I can say that the men there are really vocal… another tip would be to bring with you a trusted partner since foreigners have the highest abuse rate because they are not native there and people tend to look at foreigner and they would also treat you as someone who does not know anything… knowing a little psychology would really help and some kung fu I have been reviewing places and I am really concerned with how men treat women… Thanks for the info, I got to learn about your experience… I suggest that you could also share some of your words in Baraaza where a lot of travelers especially those lone woman travelers… it will greatly help

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By: Allison Cross

Allison Cross — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:31:56 +0000

Now, I do say I’m married, and have switched one of my rings from my right hand to my left, but that doesn’t do much, unfortunately.

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