This morning, 22/5, I was groped by a man driving a motorbike at 7:45am. I was jogging down my street towards the beach in Canggu. I had just passed an acquaintance filling up their family van with petrol, when I heard the sound of an engine humming behind me. I assumed it was my friends driving past, and moved onto the shoulder of the road to make room for their broad van. No van passed, and I was surprised. I turned to find a man on a motorbike tailing me. He grabbed my breast, drove a little ahead of me, and looked back - we made eye contact. I had long enough get his license plate # but I was too stunned to say anything before he zoomed off. The incident happened here on the little bridge between Pizza House and Yogi Motorbike Rental: https://goo.gl/maps/co4BX My immediate reaction was shock, then fear, then anger. To put it into context, in the Bali expat community there has been an uptick in conversation about these kinds of attacks on women. Its reached a fever pitch after a 17-year-old Korean female traveler was recently killed when someone tried to grab her purse while she sat passenger on a friends bike. The grab knocked her from her seat, she fell, and was hit by an oncoming motorbike. She died. (balidiscovery/messages/message.asp?Id=10647) Until today, as a foreigner learning Indonesian, the path to prevention and justice seems convoluted and overwhelming. Yet this morning, the support I felt from my Balinese, Javanese and western friends made me feel empowered and supported. My friends listened as I told them my stories, gave me hugs and told me all was going to be okay. A Balinese friend spent 2 hours with me at the police station, filing a report. There are many who are trying to start a positive discussion and proactive solutions regarding safety and non-violence in Bali as well as seek to build relationships of trust between locals, expats, community leaders and law enforcement. Many are using Facebook! As soon as I posted in these groups, warning others, many came to my support offering advice and comfort. (https://facebook/Keepbalisafe) Initially, I was so angry I went on a vigilante justice mission looking for this guys motorbike. My adrenaline flared as I ran down the street. Every male Indonesian was subject to my fear and suspicion. My normal smile evaporated from a now vacant face as I stared down each mans license plate. This is an ugly color on everyone and I felt repulsed with myself. If I found his motorbike or him, what would I do? I had a fantasy of knocking his motorbike down into the dirt, as if that would make me feel better. Eye for an eye? Grope for a grope? Tell him off in broken Indonesian? Drag him kilometers to the police station? This is much bigger than one incident in Canggu and can be abstracted to so many places in the world where numerous cultures are colliding, with vast economic disparity and varying viewpoints towards gender roles. The Immigration debate in America, violence against women in Islamic cultures, misogyny in general, the list is infinite. So what can I do? I am going to contact the local Banjar and US Consulate. I already went to the police to file a report. I am going to create awareness about violence against woman in Bali by sharing publicly with my numerous followers. Please pass this message on. If youre concerned, contact your Consulate. They have leverage by issuing travel warnings, which can impede on a big economic export for the country: tourism. Report to the police, the only cost is your time, I was not charged $$ to make the report. What did I learn from this? I would have run on the side of the road with oncoming traffic to see what was coming towards me. I usually do, but this morning I felt like it was safe enough to disregard this precaution. Honestly, I feel better and safer after this incident. I experienced no physical harm, just was really shaken up. Ive been groped in NYC and while I lived in San Francisco, there were several attacks against women in my neighborhood -- some astonishingly brutal. While I was a senior at Harvard University there was a guy in Harvard Square who groped and violently attacked students on and around campus. Heidegger said, only when a hammer ceases to work, do you realize its a hammer. Bali is not Disneyland. I never forgot that, but this morning I put aside precautions I learned over the years because I thought it was safer than it is. What was my Moms advice? Bad people dont go by a clock. I literally said to myself this morning, not in my neighborhood, as I pranced down the road. Now, I am better prepared. I feel so grateful for my friends, Indonesia and bule. And I feel reassured by a positive experience at the police station. I love you Bali.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 07:03:54 +0000