Sussex sisters campaigning to make sexual harassment in the street a criminal offence

• Video report by ITV Meridian reporter James Dunham

Two sisters from Sussex who are campaigning to make sexual harassment in the street a criminal offence has seen their campaign take a step forward.

Gemma and Maya Tutton want a law introduced to ensure women and girls feel safe in public.

The government is now asking people to share if they have suffered abuse to help them construct and develop a plan of action.

• Gemma Tutton and her older sister Maya started 'Our Streets Now' and their petition has already received over 200,000 signatures.

The government has now started a 10-week consultation asking for women and girls to share their experiences of abuse. It's not just females who experience public sexual harassment, it can be influenced by sexuality, race, disability and religion.

What is sexual harassment?

• Sexual harassment is any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel humiliated or intimidated, or that creates a hostile environment.

• When someone calls you insulting sexual names, talks about you in a sexual way that makes you feel uncomfortable (like commenting on your body), or spreads sexual rumours about you, that’s sexual harassment. It can happen in person, over the phone, or online.

• Sexual harassment can make you feel anxious, depressed and lead to other problems, such as difficulties sleeping.

What to do if you experience sexual harassment?

• If possible, try to keep a record of your experiences of harassment including dates/times and details of what happened, in case you decide to report it.

• If you’re in danger, call the police on 999.

• If sexual harassment escalates into violence, threats or sexual assault, you can report this to the police by calling 101 or contacting your local police force. Whether you report a crime to the police is entirely up to you.(Victim Support)