It was not until recently that I heard the phrase “street harassment,” but when I did, I knew immediately what it was. I had previously known it as “cat calling,” but this just didn’t seem to accurately depict the degrading verbal and occasionally physical assault that I’ve experienced on a regular basis ever since I developed breasts and hips. It truly is “harassment,” and it is shockingly common.
Even in broad daylight, I can rarely make it even a couple blocks without having multiple men whistle or grunt at me, tell me I’m hot, make obscene comments about my body, or call me baby and urge me to come over to them. The moment that follows is always an awful combination of sickening emotions. I feel uncomfortable, angry, disgusted, disrespected on the most basic human level, and utterly powerless to stand up for myself. When their eyes look me up and down and they smirk at my vulnerability, I feel naked, violated, filthy.
And yet, what can I do? I fear that if it’s obvious I’m blowing a man off, he will get angry and it will put my safety at risk. I don’t want any trouble, and I know that even as an athletic woman, most men could easily overpower me. So, I usually pretend not to hear their disgusting words and noises. I keep my head down and keep walking, but they’re not easily fooled, and it’s amazing how quickly I go from being called “baby” to being called “bitch,” or worse. I feel relieved when I escape these uncomfortable situations. And I am more fortunate than many women because I can count on only one hand the number of times I have experienced street harassment in the form of physical touching/groping.
Perhaps the most alarming thing about street harassment is that when women speak out in an effort to expose it, we are often accused of exaggerating because of our own vanity – as if we are “bragging” about all the compliments we get from men. They tell us we actually like the “attention” we get on the street, and that it’s our fault for how we dress. Power in our society is so imbalanced that men get away with treating women with complete disrespect – like sex objects – and the women are accused of being the problem.
Excuse me, but receiving comments from strange men about my appearance and fuck-ability as I walk by minding my own business is NOT a compliment. It’s harassment, plain and simple, and it’s not acceptable.
We need to talk about street harassment, because no woman should not have to fear walking down the street in the middle of the day, and no man should be permitted to harass without even the slightest repercussion. Oddly enough, I have never experienced harassment if I am accompanied by another man. As a result, I fear that men often aren’t aware of how different life is for women on a daily basis to do something as simple as walk down the street. Raising awareness of everyday sexism helps us move toward a society in which it is no longer accepted.
If you ever witness street harassment and feel safe to do so, I encourage you to stand up to the harasser. Or, simply ask the victim if she is okay. In the that horrible moment of feeling violated and disrespected, receiving even a little bit of support and comfort can inspire a world of hope.
Reason For Progress 
Well put. On an aside, one of the most interesting things that I experienced during my time in the Middle East (Bahrain) is that I felt much safer as a woman walking alone through the streets of Bahrain than I do in most countries in the United States precisely because of the lack of street harassment that occurred there.
I know that this is not solely a problem in the United States and that in many countries, Egypt comes to mind off hand, such street harassment quickly transforms into street abuse. However, the interesting insight that I gained from my Bahrain experience is that perhaps the solution to this problem is not greater gender equality (which I had always assumed would solve most gender issues), but rather more societal constraints about what constitutes acceptable behavior.
Excellent thought. Thank you for your insight!