Hollaback! Gwynedd joins the international movement against street harassment! Expanding to Wales, the Netherlands and across Europe.

23 April, 2012 (Bangor, Gwynedd) – Students in Bangor, north Wales have joined the international fight against street harassment! The Bangor Women's Society have recruited a bilingual team of students from the University to coodinate and launch a brand new anti-street harassment project for the region. Hollaback! Gwynedd is the first of its kind in Wales and one of a new group launching this week across the United Kingdom.

Jennifer Krase, chair of the Bangor Women's Society and site leader for Hollaback! Gwynedd, said "We ran a street harassment survey for Bangor University students this year and the response was overwhelming. Launching Hollaback! Gwynedd is a chance for our community to come together and put a stop to shaming, embarrassing incidences of street harassment. It's a blight on the otherwise safe reputation of Bangor and north Wales and we're proud and excited to join the Hollaback! community in this fight."

The Hollaback!Gwynedd site is run locally by a bilingual team of volunteers. The website is only one part of the project; as a result of the Women's Society survey a report about street harassment in Bangor is being produced to be shared with community leaders and groups, the University, and the local police. The recommendations from this report will aim to shape a community response to street harassment and keep Bangor a safe and welcoming place for all its residents.

Hollaback! is already a diverse movement worldwide, led mainly by young people and with strong participation from LGBT+ communities and people of colour. In addition to being a bilingual project from the start, Hollaback! Gwynedd will provide a platform to talk about experiences of street harassment and undo the myth that it's harmless, while also building a strong community of activists in the region who are dedicated to changing the conversation around street harassment.

“Hollaback! isn’t just an app or a map – it’s a movement,” said Hollaback! Board Chair, Samuel Carter. The organization is now in 45 cities and 16 countries, with leaders speaking more than nine different languages.

“The growth of the movement demonstrates the pervasive nature of street harassment globally,” said Hollaback! International Movement Coordinator, Veronica Pinto. “At the same time, the response of activists around the world is incredible as we see the determination of folks who are fighting for their safety, fighting for their streets, and fighting for the right to be who they are.”

Publication date: 23 April 2012