In order to bring focus on sexual harassment faced by female passengers while travelling in Mexico city Metro, visitors saw a new seat which was moulded in a shape of man’s body with protruding genitals.
There is also a note below the seat that reads : “It is uncomfortable to sit here, but that is nothing compared to the sexual violence that women suffer on their daily journeys.”
The campaign called #NoEsDeHombres aims at highlighting harassment that women go through in public transports and the initiative has been started by the authorities of Mexico City and the UN Women. Also, the new style seat put in a metro is not a permanent installation.
A video of ‘penis seat’ has also come out, which has seen views as many as 800,000 times. However, there has been mixed response on it.
Few said that the video is a refreshing change as it’s always women who are blamed but this initiative focuses on men. Founder of the Stop Street Harassment campaign in the US, Holly Kearl, told the BBC, “Too often initiatives around women’s safety focus on what women should or should not do, so it is refreshing to see a creative campaign aimed at men.”
However, some seem not very pleased with the idea, ” This is clearly the dumbest idea to be put on train. It’s an absolutely idiotic way to send a message to society, ” wrote a man on social media.
Another man wrote, ” Good intentions but not all men are responsible for the actions of those who abuse.”
