Corina Thorose, Melbourne, Australia, SSH Blog Correspondent
Street harassment is a hot topic at the moment. It seems like everywhere I look, people are discussing it. What it is, who commits it, whether it is an offence, or whether it is actually a compliment. I watched a segment on a panel show the other day, when the subject came up, and to my surprise, every single one of the women on the panel, declared wolf whistles to be a compliment. The women in question ranged from forty to seventy years of age, and each one said that they wish they still got whistles, that at this stage in their lives, they were no longer appreciated as being attractive, or deemed worthy of a cat call.
Well, this was food for thought.
I’m in my late twenties, and it’s never occurred to me what it would be like to be someone who doesn’t turn heads. What it must feel like to be undervalued because of your age. I felt bad for not considering every angle. But then something else happened.
One of the women asked, “Why do we have to pester men to change all their behaviour?”
Why?
Because f*ck you, that’s why.
Because the first time I got whistled at, I was twelve years old. My breasts had just come in, and maybe I looked a little older, but I can’t explain the feeling of shame that came over me as I heard that holler for my body.
Because the second time I experienced street harassment, I was thirteen. A road worker leered at me for so long, I felt frightened, even though he didn’t say anything to me. Did he know how young I was? Did he care?
Because when I was fourteen, a carful of teenager boys pulled over and asked me if I wanted a lift. What on earth possessed them to do that? What part of their brains told them that that was a good idea? And what would have happened to me if I had said yes?
Because when I hear a whistle, or am the subject of a look that lingers way too long, I feel devalued. Great, you think I’m attractive. I’ll file that under things I don’t give a f*ck about and move on. By all means, take a look. I looked at you. We’re programmed to notice members of the opposite sex, or even members of the same sex if we are so inclined. But we are not programmed to behave like horny animals. We don’t grunt and mark our territory. We have evolved.
Let’s say we stop “pestering the men about their behaviour.” Let’s say we okay the wolf whistle. If we okay that, let’s okay the the comment on my skirt. Let’s okay the narrative on how hot my tits look today. Let’s okay the guy who touched my arse because I’m wearing tight pants. Let’s okay the guy who won’t take no for an answer because he bought me the drink and I had a cheeky pash with him.
It’s a slippery slope. Street harassment is not a compliment. It needs to stop being the norm. It is a crime.
Corina is a journalist who is currently in a Masters’ program in Professional Writing. Follow her work on social media: @BrandosBride, www.facebook.com/theirownbells, instagram.com/theirownbells
