By Maddy Buffardi
OP-ED Editor

Cat-calling: to whistle, shout, or make comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by. Though to some cat-calling may seem like something on the less detrimental end of the spectrum – it is still harassment, harassment that most women deal with daily. Taking a stand against, and understanding the harmful effects of cat-calling is an important step in ending rape culture. Cat-calling is a manifestation of rape culture, and ending society’s acceptance of this will further the end of society’s negligence in responding to a culture desensitized to rape. Cat-calling feeds into the idea that women owe men something — that women are on the streets or in public for a man’s enjoyment, and that women should be to blame for any attention she receives due to what she chooses to dress herself in.

1. Cat calling is a clear objectification of women. Often times, when the topic of cat-calling is debated, the side in support of catcalling ventures to say that women wouldn’t dress themselves up, put on make-up, do their hair, ect, ect. if they did not want to be complimented. This is wrong. Women dress themselves for themselves. Women are not objects subject to open judgment and offensive appraisable. A sense of confidence isn’t born from a stranger yelling at you from across the street.
2. The mere act of catcalling is a manifestation of rape culture. Though it may seem harmless it perpetuates the idea that women dress themselves for men. It perpetuates the idea that a woman’s worth is based primarily in her physical appearance and therefore perpetuates that a woman should always be thankful for a males attention and careful of how she dresses herself if she does not want said attention. A woman should feel comfortable wearing whatever she wants without having to worry about being harassed while she walks down the street.
3. The idea that catcalling in any form is a compliment is absurd. Whether what is being yelled to a woman is obscene or as seemingly innocent as “smile!” it is not a compliment. The very act of this is demanding and demeaning. The woman walking down the street after a long day at work does not owe it to you to smile. Calling a female you don’t know “baby,” or “honey,” among other ‘sweet little nicknames’ is belittling.
4. If your intention for screaming what are believed to be compliments at a stranger is to get to know that person better, if you are truly so taken by this woman’s physical appearance that you feel you cannot help yourself but say something to her, remember there are much less intrusive and offensive ways to strike up a conversation! The pool of married couples, that’s ‘first time we met story’ starts with catcalling, is slim to none.
5. We are adding to a detrimental view of women and how they should be treated when we tolerate and argue for catcalling. When a woman tells you, that it’s not a compliment, it is not a compliment. That’s where the argument should end. Telling a woman she should be honored by these outbursts, telling a women this is what her outfit choice caused, telling a women you know what she wants to hear and you know why she’s hearing these things is wrong. Absolutely wrong. Women are not weak creatures waiting patiently to be complimented by a strange man on the street in order to feel validated and confident. Women are human beings who are more than the skirt they chose to wear on a given day, and should be treated as such.