Once, while talking with my housemates as we all sat around a table at our dorm, we started talking about catcalling. It was terrible how the different stories from each of us just wouldn’t stop coming. One way or another, we had all experience a form of catcalling. From whistling to honking to making kissing noises or to extremely inappropriate comments that are often yelled from across the street; most women face this incident more than once daily.
In fact, statistics show that 99% of women have experienced street harassment.
95% of these women have experienced leering and honking or whistling. A 38% of these women expressed that honking or whistling was a monthly experience.
82% of them have had men make vulgar gestures at them while 20% said that this had happened to them more than forty-five times.
77% expressed that they were targets for men making kissing noises at them and 48% expressed that this had happened to them at least twenty five times in their life.
And around 75% of them told that they had been followed by a strange man, 23% said that this had happened more than six times.
This is just a summary of some of the uncomfortable (and horrible) experiences women encounter when they do something as mundane as taking a walk down the street. Street harassment does not end there, some women have faced men masturbating in front of them and other horrible acts that are traumatizing.
When men were asked why they catcalled or leered at women, most expressed that they felt it was their right to do so because according to them, women who wear tight clothing are “asking for it”. They also commented that they should feel flattered by the attention she was receiving and she should take it as a compliment.
The type of clothing that you are wearing is not relevant. You could be wearing super tight clothing or wearing something that reveals cleavage, but you are still not “asking for it”. No matter what you wear, you are not “asking for it”.
And if you already didn’t know, let me tell you, catcalling will never be a compliment and will forever be a form of harassment.
The National Organization for Women expressed that other than catcalled, being rude towards a woman and her appearance is a form of harassment. “Harassment often ends up being a way for men to exert control over women and their bodies”, according to the NOW. The way men feel entitled to make comments about women’s and also young girl’s appearance just reinforces their thinking that they are entitled to do so, or that they are entitled to their bodies.
If a man or guy really wants to give a genuine compliment to women, one must have a certain level of trust and if not one should ask for permission. Remember to always be polite and kind, without expecting anything in return. Because if you really want to make the person feel good you won’t make them suffer through the embarrassment or dread of yelling them across the street, from a car or make them feel uncomfortable.
Catcalling, instead of making women feel happy and good about themselves, it usually triggers guilt, anger, and dread. Catcalling, no matter it’s supposed “purpose”, will most probable elicit the opposite reaction and will ruin someone’s day.