International Women's Day is a day meant for celebration and empowerment, it is not just a slogan, or a T-shirt that says "I'm a feminist". It is mustering up courage to tell a story and creating real impact in a real world. That is why it is especially disheartening when unfortunate events such as the murder of Sarah Everard prove that it has hardly ever been safe for women to walk alone at night. In fact, many women in Australia claim that they generally feel unsafe on the streets, let alone empowered. In light of sexual assault allegations made by Brittany Higgins in the Parliament of Australia, which sparked a state-wide petition circulating NSW schooIs demanding a stop to gender-based harassment, I would like to address another issue close to home: catcalling.
Catcalling, also known as street harassment, is not a myth, nor is it a hypothetical situation. It happens in real life, probably real-time as we speak. Flirtatious comments, wolf-whistling, indecent gestures, non-consensual touching, you name it. If you were not aware before, these are all instances of catcalling.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald (2019), studies from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australia Institute, and Plan Australia all found that 90 per cent of women in Australia have experienced catcalling or unwanted sexual advancements. Many were underage when it happened.
Predatory behaviour towards women is not uncommon in cisgender, straight men. Only a year ago, several men who claimed to be "pickup artists" attempted to practise their mate-calling skills at a bookstore, Kinokuniya, located in Town Hall. They targeted several female customers, tried to strike up a conversation with them, and eventually asked them out.
Cathy, a university student, was also approached by two "pickup artists" in Kinokuniya at the start of last year. She described it as a "weird" experience, especially because the men left the bookstore immediately right after she rejected their offer to grab drinks together. She then realized that they were not browsing for books at all.
"Since I'm just by myself, and as a girl, I didn't feel like I should confront them." she said.
On being asked if she felt safe being alone in Australia, Cathy replied "no" without hesitation. She felt it is almost essential for her to "cover up" and notify her family whenever she went out to the CBD area.
Tracy, a UNSW student, said she had encountered men yelling at her from their cars, or even stopping their car to tell her "how pretty she is", while she was walking home alone from university campus. To Tracy, comments about her body are objectifying, humiliating and frankly "disgusting", even worse if it amounted to slut-shaming. Like Cathy, Tracy felt powerless and recognised that she is unable to defend herself if the men turned aggressive.
"I definitely don't see it as a compliment, I think it's rude," Tracy said. "Because you wouldn't go up to a man and say things about his appearance."
Maggie, also a university student in her twenties, recalled her shocking experience of receiving an unprompted "back hug" from a construction worker at Burwood train station. For her, being touched and "embraced" by a stranger was not only quite traumatising, but taught her that predators are lurking everywhere, even in the most well-lit places.
"As a young woman, it's scary."
If you are still reading this, I think you and I have reached a consensus that street harassment is wrong and something needs to be done about it. But what exactly?
Under state and federal laws, the prerequisite for an offence to be considered sexual harassment, is that it must occur either at work, at school, when buying or selling goods or services, when looking for a place to stay, at a social club, when dealing with a government employee, or when looking for a job. This means that harassment in public areas does not count as harassment.
Australia's harassment laws are heavily flawed. The real question is, should anti-catcalling laws be introduced in Australia?
Before you dismiss this idea as "unrealistic" and "stupid", it may be worth mentioning that catcalling is a punishable crime in France since 2018. Perpetrators were actually fined according to the severity of each case, and the police had already issued over 700 fines in the first year since the bill had passed.
In early 2019, Greens Senator Larissa Waters has proposed introducing similar laws in Australia, allowing authorities to issue on-the-spot fines for catcalling in the streets or on public transport. However, the law has not yet been passed.
What is stopping us?
Admittedly, enforcing the law itself may be a challenge. But could the ultimate reason for inaction lie in the Parliament of Australia's lack of interest in prioritising women's wellbeing? It is not unreasonable to suggest that considering the parliament's attitudes towards the recent events that have unfolded.
The increasing momentum to keep telling stories about sexual abuse in today's Australia indicates a golden timing for us to have this conversation again. With Brittany Higgins coming forth publicising her alleged rape in the Parliament House, hundreds of high school girls have followed her footsteps and provided anonymous testimonies for an online petition, calling for sexual consent education to be taught at every school.
Aside from instances of harassment she has experienced herself, Tracy, as a member of the UNSW Women's Collective, was also very vocal about her opinion of the Prime Minister's response to sexual assault allegations made by Brittany. She insisted that Scott Morrison's lack of a strong stance is detrimental to the safety of women in Australia, as it implies that sex offenders can get away with no serious repercussions as long as they are male.
"As a young woman, it's scary." Tracy said.
Could this be a turning point for Australia? It is clear that intolerance is growing in this country, it would not be long until we reach a breaking point where women finally snap and say "Enough, it needs to stop. Australia's leader needs to act like a leader."
Just because the idea of an anti-catcalling law does not appeal to the majority at the time, does not mean it should be shoved into the archive file. Street harassment needs to be stopped and we have no time to waste. The murder of Sarah Evergard sets a horrifying example for one of the many things that could happen to a woman while she is walking home alone.
Real change must be effected, and the time is now.
*All interviewees preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
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