A woman knows the feeling, so allow us to paint the picture – you walk along, one step after another, your mind focuses on the work you have to do that day, or the fun you are about to have with your most beloved friend. The sun is out, you chose an outfit that made you feel good or comfortable in your own skin, you feel content. Walking along, your mind plays with whatever you are prioritising that day – when suddenly someone shouts at you from the other side of the road.

Give us a smile, they say. Doll, they call you. “Nice legs”.

There are not many things that feel as violating as being catcalled, and there are not many women who have not been catcalled, which means that society has come to accept that it is quite alright for women to be violated in the streets every day. It takes up so much brain space to have to live one’s life within the context of who is going to demean them in the streets from one moment to the next, or what vulgarities are going to be thrown at them for ignoring the calls and whistles. In shutting these comments out, they risk the guilt that overwhelms them for not speaking up for themselves, and in responding, they risk being physically assaulted. Women are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

Going for a walk should not be a nightmare simply for existing as a woman. From the moment young girls hit puberty they begin to experience harassment in the streets, primarily from older men, and as soon as the discomfort begins to express itself, adults convince them that this verbal abuse should be taken as a compliment to their looks. Young girls are growing up and feeling as if they are obliged to be flattered by demeaning words and threatening behaviour, purely to protect the ego of men who think it is acceptable to make strangers feel small. This is the toxic narrative that most women have been taught.

A woman knows the feeling, but why should she? Why must she carry on spending so much of her time worrying about who is going to yell at her next? It is not her responsibility to cure this, it is the catcaller who is to blame. It is up to the violator to simply stop. Women deserve to walk home without the constant fear of verbal abuse from strangers, and we must teach young people that this is not a normal way to live.

#MaltaDaily #għajjejtuxbajt

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