What’s the first thought to go through your head when you hear someone yell a crude remark at you on the street?
‘Did I hear that right?’
‘I’m so creeped out right now.’
‘Just keep walking and don’t make eye contact.’
Catcalling, unnecessary "compliments," street harassment, whatever you want to call it, is a big issue. Its an epidemic that woman all around the world face. After having a personal experience with catcalling I had to find out if more women felt the way I did. Unfortunately, not enough people are educated on the matter and aware of how obscene and disrespectful these acts really are. Studies show that at least 85% of women have experienced street harassment by the age of 17! Problem is, not much can be done to make it stop.
Catcalling is not about trying to get a quick hook up, or getting girls digits. It’s not even possible to get a girls number with your head sticking out of a moving vehicle! Catcalling is about power. Habitual cat-callers put their needs and opinions above others because they feel superior to those who they are approaching. It is about making people feel as though they need those comments or that they are there only to receive comments regarding their looks.
True, it is not only men who catcall. Though, I will admit this is mostly geared towards the feelings of a woman being verbally harassed. Men DO get street harassed, and it’s not okay. However, I won't agree that it has the same effect on men as it does women. Men may feel humiliated at the most, but the average woman will most likely say catcalling makes them feel unsafe, degraded, and ashamed. No matter where we are, what time of day, or who the caller is, we feel vulnerable and exposed. Gabrielle Moss interviewed 23 women to try to understand how women respond to catcalling. Almost all of the women shared that they were too scared of the outcome of responding to a catcall. Sure, once in a great while a woman might work up the courage to say something back, but often women are worried about what kind of reaction they might get if they do respond to a catcall. Most women worry if they reply to a catcall by defending themselves things could escalate violently or just draw more disrespectful attention and remarks.
Flattering is the last thing I consider catcalling but that is the excuse most men are using when asked why they catcall. They expect women to take it as a compliment. In reality, compliments aren’t supposed to make you feel ridiculously uncomfortable. Lauren Evans of Gothamist tried finding out why exactly men catcall out on the streets. (Below is the link to their findings!) One man says that catcalling at women is his God given right as an American to exercise freedom of speech. Another young man explains that if a woman doesn’t want lewd attention then she shouldn’t dress a certain way. Not to mention these young men know how disrespectful and wrong catcalling is, clarifying that they would not like if their sister or mother were harassed in such a manner, yet they continue to harass women they have no association with. This goes to show that they know there is an underlying connotation related to catcalling, sex.
Another video, linked below, shows one woman, Shannon Burke, who must have been so fed up with getting catcalled that she created a video of herself actually responding to some of these remarks. It’s truly an inspiration to watch her so bravely respond to some of these men, sometimes comically, sometimes with respect and civility.
My point today is not to prosecute or degrade cat-callers. After all, people follow examples. Catcalling is a practice that has not been paid much attention, causing callers to assume it’s not a big problem. It has been around for decades and though many women complain about it we do not make the effort to educate people on the matter. Teaching young men that catcalling is not the same as a compliment or flirting, rather it is offensive is the goal. Expressing ourselves and talking about the epidemic openly rather than just accepting it is the beginning. We cannot accept that this is just the way things are, that women should have to take a different route home, or that women should dress differently to avoid street harassment. Instead, we need to bring awareness and education to diminish this practice.
Why men catcall video
http://gothamist.com/2014/11/12/street_harassment_catcall.php
Woman responding to catcalling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35KqGNa1FGA
How and why women respond to catcalling article
