Catcalling, and the public degradation of women, have been around since just about as long as the human race. Imagine being able to fine your catcaller up to $1,000 for making you uncomfortable ? Sexist narratives in society have made it seem like being an attractive woman can get you far and wide. As if looks functioned as a commodity of some sorts. “You have it easy.. You’re a woman… Just sit there and be pretty”. This narrative fails to mention the ugliness that coincides with being a woman. The snippets of our day, from the small walk to our cars, to waiting for the bus to arrive at night, are where the dangers of being a woman truly live. If you engage, you’re inviting an unwanted confrontation with someone you know truly nothing about. If you don’t engage, you’re somehow exponentially uglier than you were 5 seconds ago … “You’re ugly anyways, keep walking”. What compels someone to think that it is acceptable to literally scream at a human being that they do not know ? This sort of questioning is useless in the moment. Instead, we are supposed to succumb to our role as “pretty women” - Pretty and quiet.
In Argentina, a bill was passed just this past wednesday, that made it illegal to publicly harass women. Perpetrators will be mandated to pay a fine up to $1,000. The lawmaker at the forefront of this bill, Pablo Ferreyra, stated, "All people have the right to move freely and with the confidence of not being violated, regardless of the context, age, time of day or the costumes of the person attacked, human rights are not dependent or suspended by details of the environment " ( http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1965046-por-ley-se-podr...). It is quite sad to think that such rational views are seen as being ultra radical and liberal views in heavily sexist societies (such as our own). Women simply want to be treated as human beings, and all of a sudden we turn into melodramatic feminists.
Take one look at President-Elect Donald Trump’s tapped nominee for the Secretary of Labor, Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Puzder is best known for his raunchy commercials that showcase semi naked women eating burgers (how most people eat their burgers?). Puzder regards his commercials as being very “American” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/andy-puzder-wo...). How very comforting it is to think that this man will be at the forefront of pertinent issues central to women, such as equal pay. In the regard of not only basic human rights, but basic decency, our country lags greatly behind that of others. With our President Elect nominating individuals that find naked women and burgers to symbolize America, it seems farfetched to imagine my cat caller getting hit with a fine - a girl can dream.
