"How you doin'"
*whistles* "Hello gorgeous"
"Daaaaaamn girl"
We've all heard them. Just trying to walk down the street today and get some coffee I heard all of these and more. 2:00 in the afternoon. And don't forget the stares. When your every move is being watched by at least 10 pairs of eyes on a busy street. Even police officers making an extra loop in their car and staring through the window the whole time. In the middle of a hot summers day.
What am I doing? Looking at my phone trying to ignore people and walk faster. Wearing shorts and a crop top because it's 90 degrees outside and I'm sweating.
Catcalling.
In todays world a girl can't walk down the street alone without getting at least one comment. I've even gotten them while holding hands with my boyfriend. Comments and stares making you self conscious and upset. "Oh it was just a complement" No it's not. A complement is coming up to me personally and saying something like "You look very nice today" or "I like your shirt" not making some derogatory comment about trying to sleep with me or saying I'm pretty in a condescending tone from your car or while you pass me on the street.
Just to throw some quick facts. Catcalling is verbal sexual harassment. 77% of women have experienced this verbal sexual harassment in their lifetime. And 66% of sexual harassment happens in a public place. For me it's usually the street. I've had it happen on my college campus. I've had it happen in my hometown. I've had it happen in the city next to me. I've had it happen so many public places I have lost count. Among those 77% of women who have stated the've been verbally sexually harassed, 88% of them reported it occurring in several locations and most could name 4 to 5 places off the top of their heads. In many of them it also causes anxiety and depression has a result.
More people need to come out and talk about how this is not okay. Women are constantly being objectified and it needs to stop. #metoo was a great movement that really brought these issues into the public eye, but it didn't go anywhere besides the internet. There needs to be consequences for catcalling and harassment or nothing will change. Thats why I decided to share my story, so more people would be brave enough to and maybe we can make a change in the government so that women (and men, as it is an issue for them just way less common) can walk down the street without feeling like they have to hide to not have people yell derogatory statements at them.
Here's the link to the study that I found those statistics on. There is so much more to read on there and it goes in depth about their study.  http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf