Catcalling is an unwanted form of sexual harassment in which someone whistles, shouts, or makes a sexual comment to a woman passing by. This form of harassment happens frequently to women throughout the day and is unacceptable and inappropriate.
When a woman walks down the street, her intention is to get from one point to another. Along the way, she doesn’t want a man to whistle at her, shout or make sexual comments to her. A catcaller may think (for no one knows what reason) that they’re making the woman feel flattered, but they’re not. When a woman is catcalled, it makes her feel uncomfortable. It’s disrespecting her. Catcalling a woman will not make her day better. It will make her feel violated.
I’ll say it again for the people in the back. Shouting sexual comments and whistling at a woman walking by is not flattering her. It is not complimenting her. It will not get her to hook up with you. It will make her feel uncomfortable and violated.
The irony in catcalling is that when women ignore catcallers, the catcallers get offended. They’ll say that the woman is rude for not paying attention to their inappropriate comments. However, to say that a woman should appreciate catcalling is just not right. That would imply that catcalling is a respectable thing to do. The reason men shout sexual comments to a woman passing by in the first place is because they think that this will get the woman to hook up with them. I’ve never witnessed success at doing so. However, men still continue to catcall women. This is not respectable behavior or respectable thinking. Therefore, catcallers have no right to victimize themselves when a woman ignores them and keeps walking. The real victims are the women who are targeted.
Catcalling should be a criminal offense. However, a catcalling law would criminalize speech which means that it would violate the First Amendment. However, it’s important to spread the word about this issue. Catcalling needs to end. Women shouldn’t have to feel afraid or uncomfortable when they walk down the street. To make this happen, men need to be more respectful to women. They need to think about their female family members and friends and how it would make them feel to experience this. I'm sure that men wouldn't want this to happen to someone that they know and respect.
To the women out there who experience catcalling -- just remember that you’re not obligated to acknowledge or appreciate it. There’s no need to thank a man for disrespecting you.
