Sophie Sandberg, the founder of the Instagram account Catcalls of NYC, receives about 70 dm’s a week about verbal harassment experiences––she and her volunteers chalk them out throughout the streets of New York City. (Courtesy of Sophie Sandberg)
Taking Back the Streets
Women share their experiences with catcalling, discuss why it’s harmful and how it contributes to toxic masculinity.
Content warning: Instances of violence and harassment are discussed in this documentary.
Catcalling is a part of women’s day-to-day lives. Although these everyday occurrences might seem harmless to some, it often causes women to fear for their safety. Catcalling also begins at an early age, typically around 13. I spoke with women about their experiences with catcalling, including Sophie Sandberg, the founder of Catcalls of NYC — an instagram account with a mission to call out the catcallers. Despite the disgusting nature of this verbal harassment, these women still have hope that we can see a shift in our society when it comes to gender roles: men shouldn’t feel the need to harass in order to prove their masculinity.