Someone is catcalling on the street, would you respond?

Women's Agenda & Solidarity
1

Yesterday, while walking down the street, someone said something ridiculous again. I’m usually the type to ignore it, but I thought about whether I should respond in anger. I hesitate to reply because it could be dangerous, but staying silent also bothers me. What do you do in situations like this or what do you recommend?

5 Answers

5
2

I usually don’t respond at all, but it’s not easy, of course. For example, last summer, someone passed by me in Kadıköy and said something ridiculous, and I couldn’t get over it all day out of anger. But then I thought, if I say something back, who knows how they will react, so I’m scared. I think sometimes staying silent is safer.

3

I’m at the university, and there’s a lot of it happening around our campus too. You kind of get used to it at some point, but it’s terrifying that it becomes normal. I usually wear headphones to avoid showing that I hear it because you can’t provoke every type of person into a fight. But I did say something really harsh to someone last year, and I’m not sorry because they had gone too far.

4

It might be a bit controversial, but it feels like you’ve been struggling to stay silent here. But to be honest, why do you feel the need to explain yourself so much for those people? On the one hand, maybe your style of dress doesn’t really fit you, but it could still be eye-catching. “No one should say anything” is our right, but we also need to consider these things.

5

In such situations, the strategy of not reacting or staying silent depends somewhat on your position. Especially if you’re in a crowded, safe environment and someone is likely to overhear, you can say clearly, ‘I’m uncomfortable, be quiet!’ But if you’re in a deserted place and the person looks aggressive, or if there’s a group, it’s definitely best not to take any risks. Safety comes first.

6

There have been nice comments, and some things have settled in my mind. The incident happened around Eminönü, it was crowded but didn’t feel too secure. I mean, there was an environment that could make noise and I felt a sense of fear. From now on, it seems necessary to evaluate the surroundings more carefully and act accordingly.