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Street harassment is a real thing in Mauritius but is also globally experienced by an awful lot of women who, more often than not, are the victims. There hasn't been a day when i haven't been either whistled at, catcalled, honked at, yelled at or being given unsolicited "compliments" whenever I go out on foot, by bus or by car. I've even been stalked and followed by idiots while shopping with my mum at some point and I was very recently followed by a creep on his motorcycle on my way home. And I've also once, as a teenager, had by butt get groped by a random drunk man (who ended up getting slapped so hard and totally deserved it). And that day, I was FULLY CLOTHED and was trying to get through a crowd along with my mum.
Being unwantedly harassed in public spaces is something that I've learnt to put up with and just sort of "brush off" on a daily basis ever since being a teenager, because I was told that it's a "normal experience" that most women go through. I was told that that's what boys do…it's in their "nature" to engage in such nonsensical so-called "biological behavior" that they've actually picked up and learnt from others! We've normalized street harassment to a point that it's treated like a darn joke instead of being regarded as unwarranted and unlawful. As a matter of fact, in some countries, street harassment is a serious offence but here in Mauritius, disrespectful men get away with it! That says a lot about how strict our laws are… (note the sarcasm)
Now some people will argue that us, women should feel great cos that's a huge ego-boost. Well, I agree to disagree because I feel disrespected, self-conscious, unsafe and incredibly uncomfortable more than anything else 🤷
Giving compliments is not synonymous to feeling entitled to shout things at a woman or catcall her when she's just going about her day, minding her own business and doesn't wanna be disturbed.
And this sort of harassment can really take a toll on our mental health. I personally tend to have anxiety when I am subjected to street harassment. I'm sure a lot of women can relate to that.
Over the years, I've come up with a coping mechanism that kinda works for me. Anytime I go out and have to walk a long distance, I have my glasses on, my hat on and I wear my earphones. That way I don't even hear if someone harasses me.
Today I went for my daily run in a sport ground nearby with my mum, absolutely makeup-free (obviously!), with my hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a sport jacket, and showing no skin at all (not that my attire should be an issue) and guess what happened?
3 little boys aged between 9-11 years old walked past me and one of them started to yell:
"zoli tifi, zoli tifi, heeeey zoli tifi !" (continuously for 1-2 minutes) and he even had the guts to wave at me! 🤦
Like WTH?! I'm almost THRICE your age you little bastard 🤣 I could have been his school teacher or his mother for crying out loud.
Li trouv pu fer babye tou🤦♀️lol…Incroyable mais vrai !
But on a more serious note, who's to be blamed if young boys who, aren't even teenagers yet, haven't learnt to respect girls and women?
Where and how do these young kids learn that it's OKAY to whistle or catcall females for their own egoistic pleasure while completing disregard how we feel?
I reckon a lot of factors come into play. Children mostly learn from their parents, their siblings and their peers. It was never in men's nature to harass women, it's something that they've learnt from other immature men since their childhood and no one has ever taught them that street harassment is NOT OKAY and that they should not go overboard and cross the boundaries.
So what are the solutions that we can come up with to tackle with this sexist, gender-based issue? I believe that, first and foremost, street harassment must be taken seriously and we must be able to openly discuss about it. Women who are or have been victimized, ought to be brave enough to boldly raise their voices, open up and also spread awareness about their experiences. But, if we really want a change, I honestly believe that MEN MUST ALSO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
Also, instead of telling girls to always be on their guards or that their clothing style is too provocative and encourages men to harass them or, worst, rape them (as if we crave to be sexually harassed and raped!🙄 ), we should be teaching boys from a tender age to respect the opposite sex irrespective of what a female wears and not feel entitled to her. Teach your sons that women should be able to dress however they please and go out whenever they want and feel safe walking the streets.
See, real education starts at home. Period.
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