Images: She Shapes History.
“A group of women and girls gathering in their city to learn about their history should not feel like a radical thing to do.”
It may seem bleedingly obvious and yet, this was the opener in a social media post by She Shapes History following a harassment incident at one of their public history tours, which culminated in police presence.
In the post, She Shapes History product lead Dr Zoe Condliffe said at a tour on Sunday (24 May) a group of around 20 teenage boys on e-bikes surrounded, followed, heckled and intimidated the group until one participant was compelled to call the police.
When the police arrived, the boys had dispersed, but Dr Condliffe said the encounter rippled far beyond that single afternoon, exposing a stubborn, ongoing hostility many mistook as a thing of the past.
“This conversation matters now more than ever, because history is not behind us,” she said.
“We tell stories of women who were bold, who took up space in art, politics, sports and in the streets even when they were told ‘You don’t belong here’. And on Sunday, this history felt very present.”
She Shapes History, which uncovers the stories of the trailblazing women who shaped Australia but were written out of its history, is no stranger to backlash from their work, but Dr Condliffe said Sunday’s “by far the worst incident” experienced on one of their tours.
One of the saddest things about it, she said, was the reaction from the teenage girls on the tour — or lack thereof.
“The teenage girls on the tour were the least shocked of all,” she said. “They felt like this was completely normal behaviour. It makes me feel sad that this type of behaviour is so expected.”
Normalisation of harmful attitudes and behaviours is a key focus of “It Starts With Me Today”, a campaign by not-for-profit men’s health organisation Healthier Illawarra Men (HIM).
@sheshapeshistory 🚨 Content warning: harassment and intimidation in public space. 🚨 This is not our usual content, but it is an important conversation. Following an incident on one of our Wollongong tours, our Product Lead, Dr Zoe Condliffe, reflects on what this moment reveals about gender, public space, history and belonging. Before joining She Shapes History, Zoe founded She’s A Crowd, a feminist data startup that mapped over 120,000 stories of gender-based violence and harassment in public spaces across Australia. Her PhD explored how women’s experiences are heard, recorded, believed and taken seriously. At She Shapes History, we believe history is not just about the past. It shapes who feels visible. Who feels welcome. Who gets remembered. Who gets to move freely. And who is still being told, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways: “You don’t belong here.” This conversation matters because women and girls are still being asked to negotiate their right to the city — in ways that are often dismissed, minimised or treated as normal. We’re not here to demonise young boys, but we refuse to accept intimidation is normal on our tours. Women and girls belong in public space. We belong in the city. We belong in history. And we belong in the future.
Run in partnership with Women Illawarra, the campaign seeks to tackle misogyny and domestic violence through education, positive role modelling and honest conversations.
It Starts With Me Today committee head Craig Morris said while the individuals involved in the She Shapes History Wollongong incident were young, it highlighted the importance of conversations around respect, behaviour, accountability and the way boys and men view and treat women.
“Changing culture is not about blaming all boys or all men. It is about helping the next generation understand empathy, respect and responsibility and empowering communities to step up rather than stay silent,” he said.
“If we can influence one young person to think differently, act differently or speak up when something feels wrong, that creates a ripple effect that can help shape a safer and more respectful community for everyone.”
A statement from International Women’s Day Illawarra said the alleged behaviour reflected broader social issues requiring leadership from families, schools, community organisations and government.
Co-founder Judith Henderson said the community shouldn’t think of this incident in isolation.
“It raises important questions about respect, empathy, online influence and the way misogyny and intimidation are increasingly normalised among some young people,” she said.
“The irony that a tour focused on women’s history and women’s place in society was allegedly disrupted in this way is not lost on anyone.”
Visit She Shapes History Wollongong to book a tour — ’cause they’re not going anywhere.
