Catcall, to your own peril.

Street Harassment - from the perspective of a 'white girly'

By: Monique Hollis

So, today I did a walk through Cape town.

I got catcalled not once, not twice. But a whopping seven times.

The irony that I was on streets to find sponsorship for a women’s campaign is not lost on me.

I need to bring the Women’s Walk to the forefront of your attention. Women in South Africa walk every day; to work, to the mall, to the shops and home. Every day a woman steps onto the street. They take the taxi’s or maybe public transport such as the train.

The outfit I wore today was a beautiful flowy blue skirt with a semi-formal black shirt. This outfit gave me confidence. And I’m sure it’s the reason behind all the unwanted attention right?

No, that’s wrong.

I did not get up this morning , getting dressed, in order to get as much attention as I can on the streets. Regardless, the attention comes. And I know I am NOT the only woman, nor, is it because ‘I’m a white girly’.

I told one group of anonymous men to stop. I was on a mission, I was sharing feminism and a movement I have created through blood, sweat and tears.

Do not catcall me. I’m not your girly. Treat me like a woman. No wait…. Treating us like women is not so far off from how you treat your dogs. Treat me like a man then.

So, during this walk, I turned to face a group of men after I had been hooted at.

I told them to back off.

They laughed at me, and asked me what was wrong.

Give me some respect! Give women some goddamn respect!

They laughed, they had gotten the attention they were after. I probably should have walked on.

But today, I didn’t take public transport. I parked my car and took a 5 minute walk to the camera shop.

The women who take the taxi’s every day, the women who take the train. The women who walk to work. They all deal with this every single day.

It’s not right. It’s not fair. I will not sit down and keep quiet. We have been taught that the road of least conflict will keep us safe.

But our women take these roads alone every day. My hands are wrapped around my pepper spray, holding onto it for dear life.

It is not the place, it's not the outfit, it is not your hair or your curves. It is men who need to change their view towards women.

We will not change anymore to suit the men who catcall us at every turn.

This blog is not an anti-rape post, this is an ANTI-HARRASSMENT post. (I'll get to the framework around women and rape in SA soon enough. The stats are there, the women don't speak out after harassment because there is too many occurrences in this country).

Just Stop Harassing Us, OR we will crush you. These men don’t have a clue about our power as a collective. We need to stand together or else our women will continue to be treated like dogs, or worse than (In case you were wondering, 'our women' include your mothers, your wives, your daughters & your female friends).

Our power is in numbers, SAQWS will ensure these women don’t walk alone, they won’t have to be scared. Because we will be there, holding our women by the hands.

South African women are not going to take your hooting, so be careful. Someone will react, and if you force us to react.

We will strike you down.

The time to unite is now, my fellow queens.