If you've ever experienced catcalling, you'll know how incredibly uncomfortable it can make a person feel. In some circumstances, it can even incite fear.
The subject of catcalling came into the spotlight again this week after actress Emily Atack said that it should be a “public health issue”. The Inbetweeners star spoke out about her experience of sexual harassment in a new BBC documentary.
The 33-year-old branded the impact of catcalling 'damaging' and said: “Catcalling isn’t just catcalling, it’s what that means – it means that someone has that easy access to you but is able to rid themselves of it by driving or running off and you’re left with the feeling.
“That can be very damaging over a period of time.”
But what is catcalling?
According to Miriam-Webster the definition of catcalling is "the act of shouting harassing and often sexually suggestive, threatening, or derisive comments at someone publicly."
The first known use of the word was back in 1830 and was initially used to describe the people loudly expressing their disapproval at a sports event.
Over time the meaning of the word has been commonly used to describe when rude, derogatory or unwelcome comments are made at someone in public. Although catcalling happens to all genders, women are typically the main targets of the behaviour, with many describing instances where they have been wolf-whistled or beckoned by men they do not know when out and about in public.
Last month, the government backed a new bill that will make street harassment a crime punishable by a jail sentence of up to two years. As part of the bill which is currently making it's way through the House of Commons, actions such as catcalling, following someone and blocking their path will be criminalised.
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It's a societal issue that has been around for a long time. In 2021, MEN reporter Sophie Halle-Richards showed readers the dangers that women face when she visited an area in Manchester that was known for men harassing women on the street. In the article, Sophie recounts the stark difference in how a lone man walking through Bury New Road was treated compared to a lone woman.
She wrote: "The whole experience is extremely uncomfortable and intimidating, and I realise how notably different things are depending on whether you are a man or woman.
"When my male colleague walked along the same stretch of road, at the same time, he wasn't catcalled or approached by men in the same way that I was."
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