Do any of you have advice for a young professional woman for handling herself in challenging or dangerous situation?
The circumstances are that two young women were sent to do work in the field in a religious community in which women are covered, and strangers are generally not welcome - particularly uncovered females with cameras. There will be several visits to this particular community, and it is part of the profession, so I’m sure it will come up again in other places. At the first visit, there was trouble – threats, hostility, attempts to take the camera, complaints about women being in public wearing jeans/hardhats and boots - which are necessary for the work.
My thought was that in future visits, it could be prudent to stop in at the police station or town hall and present credentials ahead of time, but I’m not sure that would prevent all problems because the people on the street got themselves all riled up and weren’t interested in any explanations.
I’m sure lots of you have professional experience in such circumstances, but I don’t, so I welcome any thoughts!
If I were the women’s supervisor, I wouldn’t put them in harms way - too much liability. If I were those women’s parent, I would tell them not to go. If I were one of those women, I wouldn’t do it because no job is worth one’s safety.
Oldfort, I’m not sure there was real physical danger, but definitely intimidation. I just don’t think my D should have to pass on important projects in this way. But maybe. She doesn’t like it, though, and doesn’t think she should be precluded.
I’d probably suggest erring on the side of not wearing tight clothing but looser fit jeans (one shouldn’t have to but just being pragmatic).
Do they have cellphones/walkie talkies to be in contact with the home office/authorities if needed? Not sure if they have good service wherever they are.
“My thought was that in future visits, it could be prudent to stop in at the police station or town hall and present credentials ahead of time, but I’m not sure that would prevent all problems because the people on the street got themselves all riled up and weren’t interested in any explanations.”
I don’t think it would hurt but might not help if the people in charge are of the same persuasion.
Again taking a pragmatic view, it might be sensible to send out teams of one male/female. Shouldn’t be needed in 2017 but might be the safer approach.
Are her bosses aware of these challenges in this locale?
The bosses are definitely aware, but in order to have sent a man, they would have had to send someone in a different job. They were wearing jeans, work boots, hard hats, and bright orange safety vests, so not sexy at all.
The walkie talkie idea is a good one. They had cell phones, but with their other equipment, they weren’t out. Walkie talkies can be worn, so that’s really good.
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The walkie talkie idea is a good one. They had cell phones, but with their other equipment, they weren’t out. Walkie talkies can be worn, so that’s really good."
If they had walkie talkies and start getting harassed again, one could pull it out and put it to their ears and talk, even if they are just faking it. Might send the message that they are in touch with others, willing to report the intimidation.
I disagree. Lots of people have dangerous jobs. The young women should be very polite and respectful in any encounter, explaining why they are there as needed. It’s important that they exude self confidence and authority and not show any uncertainty or fear or give any indication that they are able to be intimidated.
I don’t know if it would make the situation better or worse, but videoing threatening behavior with their phones would give them some evidence of the issue if needed. Wonder if they could get a body camera that isn’t very noticeable. I’ve seen ones that just look like a Bluetooth, for example. I don’t know if they intend to report the behavior, but if it ever came to that it would give them evidence.
I’ve been confronted (nicely) when I’ve been out photographing houses. (Usually in preparation for a zoning board meeting.) I wonder if it might help to dress a little more like the natives? Maybe tunic tops over the pants for example?
When my son was in Jordan the young women in his program got harrassed a lot. They thought they were being relatively modest (which they were by US standards), but they hadn’t figured out that showing the nape of your neck was taboo. Even in Amman - fashionable women often wore mini-skirts with turtlenecks. We used to laugh because my son dressed more modestly than any of the women (long sleeve button up shirt, long pants. I don’t think it’s right, but sometimes it is easier to just try to respect local customs as best you can. I know that’s especially hard to do when we are in the USA and feel strongly you shouldn’t have to.
women have fought long and hard for equal rights/equal pay. It is fortunate the employer is giving them this assignment, which in the past we are told was a “man’s job”. Good for them, and for their employer. Too bad the residents don’t share the same view.
I agree a walkie-talkie is a deterrent, and good luck to them. But based on past threads about campus rapes and other rapes, advising them to dress differently is often considered “victim shaming”. I don’t agree. I think slightly altering one’s clothing can be very prudent.
I’m not sure what the other woman looks like, but the orange safety vest my daughter wears comes almost to her knees and has long sleeves and is very loose. They aren’t allowed to wear anything over the safety vests because the job does require getting into some dark, tight spaces.
I think the problem with some of these suggestions is that being polite and respectful in the face of deeply held religious anger may not get you very far. When emotions are running high, reason goes out the window.
I have the same concern with video taping and reporting behavior to the police. If the local police are part of this community, they may not be very helpful or sympathetic, so video evidence might not amount to a hill of beans. Remember that once the girls are gone, the police still have to deal with (and possibly live in) that community.
Sorry I don’t have any positive suggestions. I’m surprised this sort of thing can happen in the US, but unless state or federal laws are violated (and nobody wants their D to be part of that conversation) you’re at the mercy of the local police, who may or may not be on your side. Sometimes our modern sensibilities, such as the rights of women to wear what they want and go where they want, have to bend to the reality on the ground.
Just to be clear, they weren’t physically assaulted in any way, although people did try to take the cameras and banged on their company vehicle and got in their faces and yelled.
They’re documenting historic buildings in a historic district, so there’s nothing even remotely disturbing about what they are doing.
Does anyone reach out to the community ahead of time by some means to let them know that xyz people will be in town for abc purpose? Perhaps if the community has that info (if they don’t already) the local folks will feel less threatened. I say threatened because if it is the type of communities I’m thinking of, they are very insular and don’t like strangers at all regardless of gender and clothing. Some may be living a life/engaging in behavior that is not only unconventional but unlawful and the cameras might be perceived as a bigger threat than the clothing choice of your daughter and her coworker.
Checking in with local police sounds like a good idea. Maybe they could point you to local community leader to let them know this work will be occurring.
Sorry I don’t have much patience for these “insular” commnunities, which is just an excurse for bullying people. I’d be asking the local police how to file complaints for harrassment or assault and battery.
Just not up for putting up with of this cr-p this week.
Doschicos, yes. The state office sent out letters to the exact places that were being surveyed. However, the professionals doing the work have to be present and that was part of the problem. They just didn’t want any outsiders, and particularly not women.
Funny you should mention that. There was recently a very large public funds (under the umbrella of what we used to call welfare) scandal in the area, so I’m sure that plays into it.
I think it would be more helpful to reach out to the religious leaders of the community, in addition to the police. Explain what they are doing. They should also explain that they are only photographing the buildings, not people. I’d also suggest a dashcam in their vehicle.
@doschicos makes a great point. If the company had a meeting at the local religious institution or school, they might understand what they are up to better. They may well not really understand it’s only the buildings they are interested in. I’ve got a pretty good guess about who you are dealing with - and they are difficult and pretty illogical.
