Any woman who dares to exist in public spaces can recount dozens of instances of sexual harassment. From leering and whistling to stalking and groping, all are damnable and all too familiar. Women can, however, take actions to achieve some restitution.
I found several stories of harassment boil to the top of my brain while engrossed in “Everyday Sexism” by Laura Bates, the book inspired by the Everyday Sexism Project website. In a chapter on sexism in public spaces, Bates recalls a harassment case from the early morning hours of a workday – yes, sexism never sleeps – on her bike ride to the office. Mid-pedal, she is yelled at by a group of men at work along the sidewalk and, as a result, almost ends up in a car wreck. Shaking, she stomps over to call their supervising manager by the number on the company vehicle. Luckily, the manager on the end of the line takes her report seriously and files the incident.
I slammed the book shut and looked up at my sister sitting across the table. “Did you know you could report a catcalling case by a construction crew by calling a managing officer and it would, at least … count for something?” I asked.
“I’d never thought of that,” she said.
Neither had I. Supposedly the phone number of a building company exists on the side of a semi truck in 256-point type for a reason, but I often don’t recognize the need to report cases of public sexual harassment the same way I might with other sex discrimination cases, even though they are just as serious. When sexual harassment happens, I recognize the bitter taste in my mouth and the anger in my heart. More often than not, though, I see it as another bullet of rape culture that someone as small as myself could never patch.
Worst-case scenario, I feel as though there was something I must have done to deserve an unwanted comment, wink or touch. Comments from the women in my life such as: “Are you sure you want to be wearing that in public? You don’t want to hurt yourself,” or, “Don’t forget to bring your mace – don’t want to put yourself in a dangerous situation,” only fuel a fear that a catcall is my fault or, in fact, a compliment.
But sexual harassment is neither of these. Sexual harassment in public spaces is a violation of consent and a form of sexual violence. No matter if the harasser physically grabs someone or stares predatorily, they overstep the boundaries of individuals trying to go about their day. Hollaback!, a global organization fighting street harassment, defines sexual harassment in public as “a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups (women and LGBTQ folks, for example) of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces.” This produces a feedback loop of sexual objectification in otherwise ordinary areas. No one consents to this type of behavior in any form, and it shouldn’t be seen as tolerable in any light.
Stop Street Harassment, another organization that fights public sexual harassment and catcalling, commissioned survey research that found that 65 percent of American women had experienced street harassment. Among reporting women, 23 percent had been sexually assaulted, 20 percent had been stalked, and 9 percent had been coerced into sexual activity against their will. Public sexual harassment is nonconsensual and a form of gendered violence.
Public sexual harassment is a part of our sexist, rape culture society — but it can be countered with small steps. If you don’t consent to comments or actions from others, then such behavior is never invited.
