Cat's Don't Call (Neither Should You)

I love the summer. One of the reasons is because of the clothes. There's something great about being able to wear cute summer dresses, tank tops and short shorts while feeling good about your body. Yet, there are cons to it too. Most women can relate to what I'm saying. With clothing that shows skin, there is street harassment.

According to Stop Street Harassment (an organization with the initiative to end this), street harassment is defined as: "any action or comment between strangers in public places that is disrespectful, unwelcome, threatening and/or harassing and is motivated by gender or sexual orientation." Of course, this happens during all times of the year, but it seems to especially be evident in the summer. I love being able to walk everywhere in the beautiful weather. Time alone outdoors gives me time to reflect on the world around me, and all its beauty. But the cat-calls and wolf-whistles ruin it all. 

The worst part is, there have been times I've expected to be called out at, when I wasn't at all. I have been afraid to walk by certain groups of men because it has been such a norm to deal with that sort of harassment. I've also taken different routes to avoid people, as have many of my girl friends that I have talked to regarding the topic. 

I question the reasoning behind it all. I know for a fact that sexual assault and harassment is always about power, but the thought process behind yelling out to a woman on the street confuses me. Does it seem cool? Because if that's the case, I fear for the trends both of the present and future even more so than I do already. 

I know that for many boys and men out there, yelling "Hey baby" could be a normal things to do when driving by a "hot chick" with their friends. And I'm here to say STOP! For many, it's a norm to do such a thing. But the aftermath of it only results in the woman feeling degraded, objectified and bad about herself. Not to mention that if a woman yells back to defend herself, she is often labeled a "bitch."

If you see someone harassing someone on the street, how about educating them on the topic? Don't let it slide. More than 80% of women worldwide are dealing with this, and that is a number that is much too high. The only way that this can be changed is by telling people who do do this, that they're not being "cool." In fact, they are reinforcing the sexism and violence against women already in place through society, media and other means. 

The point is, we can put an end to this. There are many anti-street harassment marches and events. However, by not being okay with it, it's a huge step towards stopping it. We are all responsible for it, and ignoring is makes us part of the problem and not the solution.