Just over two weeks ago the non-profit organization Hollaback! posted a video titled “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman” showing the abundance of catcalls one woman received in a day. The video has over 35 million views to date, and has created an outlet for a larger and greatly needed conversation on street harassment.
Hollaback! is an international group that is trying to tackle the problems of catcalling and street harassment that women face every day. The video was intended to highlight the absurd level of degrading comments that a woman was subject to in only 10 hours.
While many have praised Hollaback! for tackling the issue in such a head on way, there has also been a substantial amount of backlash. On one side of the criticism, some say the video was racially biased in showing harassment from a disproportionate amount of men of color. Hollaback! issued a statement a few days after the video was uploaded apologizing for this and assuring they were deeply committed to showing that street harassment is not a race or class specific problem.
On the other side of the backlash were the individuals saying that women are simply not grateful for the attention they receive, and that the numerous and degrading comments the woman, actress Shoshana Roberts, received are compliments. Other comments from this school of thought said that Roberts was dressed in such a manner as to illicit the harassment. She was wearing jeans and a black crew neck shirt. These type of claims are incredibly ignorant and play directly into the culture of victim-blaming that exists in society today.
While this video has gone viral and created a heated debate over catcalling, it is certainly not a new or unfamiliar topic for women. Another well-known feminist movement aimed at ending street harassment is “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” created by artist Tatyana Falalizadeh. This street art project was created in Brooklyn in 2012 and has expanded to other cities as well. It showcases portraits of women that Falalizadeh talked to along with words describing their experiences with catcalling.
Street harassment is an intersectional problem that affects all women. Ending this behavior that has become so ingrained in our culture will be hard, but the rise of so many new movements aiming to end it is a sign that change is happening.