Catcalling is not okay. Going to school in the city made me more aware of this term “catcalling." Catcalling is when men make (unwanted) sexual comments towards women walking by. In NYC many women are familiar with catcalling and most walk by without saying a word to these men. Men think it’s okay to “compliment” women like this because who doesn't want a compliment right? WRONG. By catcalling women, one is sexually harassing and making women feel uncomfortable and maybe even scared.
This harassment should never be blamed on a woman. Many think it’s okay to blame the woman because of something she may be wearing but that is irrelevant. Clothing does not equate to unwanted sexual comments; no matter if someone is fully covered up or not wearing anything, this is the choice of the women and should not be used as a justification from men to be able to sexually harass them.
After blaming what a woman wears, people tell her just to ignore these comments. By ignoring catcalling you are indirectly telling men that this action is okay. It is never okay to make a woman feel unsafe, and there needs to be more awareness to this. There is a YouTube video entitled, “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman,” and the top comments expressed an idea I didn’t think would have so much support. This video includes numerous catcalls towards a woman, and some comments include, “I must have missed the bit where she was harassed," and “The funny thing is, is that if this girl was walking for 10 hours and NO ONE said anything she'd feel ugly and insecure...” Disagreeing with both of these statements, I feel like people don’t take catcalling seriously enough. It is an issue set aside and not seen as important, especially because the majority of men don’t have to face it. Next time you are walking in the city try and notice how many times you are catcalled or see someone who is. Don’t ignore catcalling. Don’t ignore harassment. Don’t ignore misogyny.
