Catcalling is not complimentary, it's street harassment
Women from different countries share their perspectives
Four different women, three different continents, one similar issue. Some call it a compliment, others call it flirting, but for those four women it has always been harassment. Yasmine, Ellie Lyall, Ellie Marsh and Diana all share their stories and perspectives on the global issue.
"Every single time I walk out of the house, something happens"
It was a summery Ramadan night in Alexandria, Egypt. Yasmine, like many others in her small town, was walking back from the evening prayer with her friends when she experienced what she described as the worst kind of street harassment.
The 21-year-old Political Sciences student said: "Every single time I walk out of the house something happens.
"But there was this one time that I will never forget.
"It was during the summer after middle school and it was Ramadan. I was walking down the street with two of my friends after leaving the Mosque following the evening prayer.
"I remember wearing very modest clothing, a long skirt and Islamic headscarf, nothing revealing whatsoever.
"We had just almost arrived near the house of one of my friends when a guy riding a tuk-tuk stretched his hand out and slapped my behind.
"There was more than one person in the tuk-tuk and I could hear them all laughing after that happened.
"I spent all night crying that night. I just couldn’t believe that someone would actually do that. I was harassed. I was violated. It was the most revolting thing that had ever happened to me."
"I was wolf-whistled at as I was in the middle of a driving lesson."
In some countries in Europe, catcalling becomes a predicament. With some people conceiving it as a form of flirting or passing on compliments rather than harassment. Ellie's experiences left her in a dilemma of confusion when it came to accepting what can sometimes seem like innocent compliments from strangers.
The 23-year-old, said: "I was wolf-whistled at as I was in the middle of a driving lesson. I had pulled up on the side of the road to do a manoeuvre but I waited as I noticed someone about to cross my path. As they walked past, I just heard a wolf-whistle as clear as day.
"I was a bit shocked to be honest and it was quite distracting but my driving instructor made a joke of it and I just continued my lesson.
"My driving instructor was a middle-aged man. When we both heard the whistle, there was a pause for a second before my instructor turned to me and said ‘Well I don't think that was for me,' which made me laugh at the time.
"I think I was just glad the atmosphere wasn't awkward and silent anymore.
"I've also got curly hair, which has attracted a few comments as well as I'm walking in the street.
"I've walked past a pub before and had someone shout across the road at me ‘excuse me young lady’, and then compliment my hair.
"I don't typically mind it but it is a bit daunting having drunk people call out to you when you're walking by yourself, so it's a shame I think that way when you're being paid an innocent compliment I guess."
According to Plan International UK, a humanitarian organisation working for the rights and welfare of girls and children, around 35 per cent of school girls in the UK have faced a form of sexual harassment while wearing their school uniforms.
Ellie Marsh who also lives in Sunderland, said that she has had first-hand experience when it comes to public harassment as a school girl.
She said: "People used to shout at us out of cars and beep at us when we were walking in our school uniforms to the school bus stop in high school. It was very creepy."
Ellie Anne Lyall
Ellie Anne Lyall
Ellie Marsh
Ellie Marsh
"I get very angry and literally boil from inside out when they do this and feel as if it's okay."
For 25-year-old Diana, a frequent traveller, street harassment is something that she says is considered the norm in a lot of the countries she has visited.
She said: "I find it very frustrating when men whistle at women or especially go out of their way to interact with them. I didn't experience it much around Europe, but in eastern countries it happens really a lot.
"I was with a friend in Jordan and men would literally stop their car and start whistling at us and when we ignored it, a few times they've ran to follow us and were screaming that we should talk to them.
"My friend feels okay with that and can deal with it, whereas I get very angry and literally boil from inside out when they do this and feel as if it's okay."
The United Nations considers any form of sexual harassment against women as a violation of their human rights. It works with women, charities and governments to end all forms of violence and freedom violations against women.
