Why catcalling is not a compliment

By Joy McManus

Catcalling is defined by Urban Dictionary, a relevant source in this case, as:

‘When a guy gives the wert whirl whistle or yells at a babydoll for the purpose of getting attention and in hopes of a future hook up… 99.9% [of the time] a hookup never arises and it’s just the thrill that keeps these going’

Sometimes if a girl gets catcalled and then communicates that she didn’t appreciate it the response can often be ‘take it as a compliment’, which I don’t understand. How is it meant to be a compliment if a passing stranger thinks they have the right to comment on your body or how much they’d like to have sex with you? The fact that we need to justify why catcalling is wrong saddens me- surely not being shouted at and harassed as we go about our daily lives should be a human right.

#shoutingback

 ‘Feminism’ used to be a bold, italicised, negative word to me. I saw it as connected to narrow minded women who refuse and discourage genuine chivalry. Those who in the process of fighting for women’s rights are treading on the voices and rights of decent men. And I would to this day still hold to that. The end goal is equal rights, but recently I’ve realised that to create a balance there needs to be a push towards working on the female side of that.