Why catcalling is not OK

It's not like I can't take a compliment but when a van drives past you shouting out the window “show us ya tits love” it doesn’t exactly make me feel ‘special’.

Some girls may like hearing the odd wolf whistle down the street, but I for one don’t appreciate a stranger telling me my backside “looks good.”

What’s the purpose of you honking to me whilst I’m walking down the street? To brighten my day? To make me feel appreciated as a woman?

Let’s cut the bull.

Now to make it clear, being catcalled has nothing to do with what you’re wearing, what you look like or how old you are. I have been whistled at more times wearing a baggy tracksuit than my ‘slutty’ short going-out dress.

As long as you have a female body, you are a target for creepy lowlifes.

“It’s not a big deal” and “you should take it as a compliment” are just some of the excuses people come up with when I moan about being shouted at by a yob down the street. And worse still, we are told to not react, “just act polite and don’t cause a scene.”

And then they have the audacity to shout “mardy b**ch” if you ignore them. I mean, what are we meant to say? “Cheers for being a creep…fancy a drink?”

Girls shouldn’t be brought up to accept being constantly harassed. Girls shouldn’t have to fear walking on the streets on their own. Girls shouldn’t have to hear sexual comments at the age of 11, like I did.

The average age for women to be catcalled in the UK is between 12-17, some girls as young as 10.

It’s disgusting. Girls are being sexually objectified before they’ve even reached puberty. So why do they do it? Do guys truly believe that hurling abuse at strangers will somehow lead to sex? I’d like to see their success rate on that approach. 

Men and boys don’t have the right to shout abuse at total strangers just because they are female.

Catcalling is not a compliment. It does not make me feel pretty or desirable. It’s disrespectful and downright rude.

#SexualHarassmentIsNotOk