Women’s Harassment in B’Kara Leads To DIY Self-Defence Brainstorm
A woman going about her errands in Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara, recently found herself being stalked and harassed verbally by a stranger on a bike. To make matters worse, as she tried to get away from the harasser a group of nearby workers started whistling and catcalling her, making her feel even more vulnerable.
The woman’s fiance explained what had happened to his partner on the Facebook group The Salott, and lamented the fact that pepper spray, an item commonly used against harassers in many countries, is illegal in Malta.
After asking for alternative ways to fend off attackers the discussion quickly became filled with homemade ways of fending of would-be attackers, from taking your dog with you for protection to enrolling in kickboxing classes.
The prevailing recommendation was clearly the classic deodorant-in-the-bag, with the added option of a lighter in front of the nozzle when needed. Some women preferred Baygon to deodorant, finding insect repellant more apt to deal with harassers who are bugging them.
A woman who said she was on the shorter side at, 5’2 in height, pointed out that “the worst thing to do is to show fear!”, while advising women to turn to their would be attackers and to “shout “WTF do you want moron?““
One person went one step further and shared a recipe for a legal homemade pepper spray that doubles as a spicy food enhancer: “At PAMA they sell Carolina reaper peppers. These are the second hottest pepper in the world. Put them in a blender with 1 cup water and 1 cup vodka. Blend until homogenous. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Place in spray bottle. You can spray this delightfully hot spray on food for a real kick. This legal kitchen condiment also works wonderfully as self-defence.”
While some warned that “aggression and spray might not be the best solution unless you know what you’re doing,” a man who works with the Government went in the opposite direction and called for the legalisation of “pepper spray, tazers and open-carry hand guns.”
However, many women seemed to be relying on the tried and tested keep-your-keys-pointing outwards-in-your-fist and punch anyone who gets too close model.
While there may have been differing opinions on how to tackle the problem of having a harasser following you, there was one thing that everyone agreed on: that street harassment is all too common here in Malta, and that’s a problem.
Do you have an effective way of tackling street harassment, or have a horror story of your own? Let us know in the comments section.
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