Let’s Talk: Jinan Moumneh

Do you ever think that someone might bother or harass you while walking down the street in Beirut? “I sometimes think that [street harassment is] possible because I live in off campus dorms and there are some lights that aren’t illuminated, so sometimes I feel like there are people lurking in the corners so I try not to walk back late by myself. There’s not enough lighting.

What are the resources you resort to for help in this case (of harassment)? I think [harassment is] a very disturbing experience, so I would probably need to consult someone or talk to the counseling office. If it happened near AUB I would try to talk to someone that has authority. Other than confiding in friends or family, to go beyond that would be to talk to someone in authority here or to get counseling.

What do you think should be done to deal with issues of street harassment and the unsafe navigation of public spaces? I don’t know what AUB can do about it, but in general, for prevention from us, we shouldn’t walk by ourselves, but that doesn’t make it okay. I don’t know what can be done on a bigger scale. You can put in more lights, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone might still harass you. So I think, I don’t know if this is relevant, but you have to educate people. You have to raise awareness.”

— Jinan Moumneh – Nutrition

Note: This interview was originally published on November 22, 2016, by AUB’s official student newspaper, Outlook, as part of the KIP Project’s online campaign against street harassment, called #NotYourAshta.