An advert that appeared on Rwanda TV recently painted disturbing a Picture that is all too familiar in many public spaces in the region and beyond. 

A comely, young lady is waiting at a bus stop. A young man approaches her and tries to strike a conversation suggestively. The young lady seems none too happy, and spurns the young man’s advances. The bus arrives and, as she boards, the young man pats her behind.

Meanwhile, in the bus a woman is clearly unhappy seated next to a male passenger with a mischievous look on his face. The male passenger, obviously not her husband or relative, touches the woman’s breast.

The woman protests loudly, saying, "You’ve been disturbing me for too long on this bus. You should leave me alone!”

The woman decides to terminate her journey before reaching her destination and indicates to the bus conductor that she wants to alight at the next stop.

A baseline study commissioned by UN Women Rwanda and conducted by the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) in 2012 revealed that 30 per cent of men have sexually harassed women. Up to 70 per cent of men were aware of at least one incident having taken place.

According to the study, 23 per cent of women had been victims of sexual harassment, while 43 per cent had witnessed at least one incident taking place. Up to 63 per cent of the women were aware of at least one incident having taken place. 

I am not aware of such a study having been conducted anywhere else in the region. But as UN Women emphatically notes, "this violence may take place on the street, in public transport, in parks, in and around schools, places of employment, and other public spaces in urban and rural areas. Some cases are publicised and receive media and public attention, while most cases go unreported and unaddressed.” 

And that the woman in the bus should decide to alight before reaching her destination is quite telling, and disturbing to say the least. It is symbolic of the effects of sexual violence and harassment on women and girls.

The UN notes that violence and the fear of violence reduces women’s freedom of movement and rights to access education, work, recreation, and essential services, and can restrict their participation in political life.

It also negatively affects their health and well-being.

Yet, despite these wide-ranging consequences, violence against women and girls in public spaces remains a neglected area, with few laws or policies in place to prevent and address it.

In the TV advert, the woman’s protest catches the attention of her fellow passengers, who become outraged at the harassment she has had to endure. 

The passengers manage to calm her down, and persuade her to continue with her journey. This is the point that the advert is trying to make: that most of us watch sexual harassment taking place, not grasping the effects it has on women and girl’s lives. Yet our speaking out against it can make all the difference.

The advert and the baseline survey are part of the Safe City Kigali Programme, launched in August 2011, with the aim to develop a model to prevent and reduce sexual violence and harassment in public spaces. 

The Programme is a UN Women initiative in partnership with the City of Kigali and Rwanda Women’s Network. The objective is to have the model adopted by local authorities nationwide.

But countries in the region should watch keenly, as well.

The Safe Cities programme is global and focuses on poorly developed areas and impoverished neighborhoods.

Alongside Kigali, other Pilot Cities for the Safe Cities Programme are Cairo (Egypt), New Delhi (India), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Quito (Ecuador).

Let’s all rise up against sexual harassment.

The writer is a commentator on local and regional affairs.

Twitter: @gituram