Doing this in France will earn you a hefty on-the-spot fine
Ask any women of any age if she’s ever been catcalled before, and the answer is most likely “yes”. Now, in the wake of the explosive sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, one country is taking a drastic step towards curbing sexual harassment.
In a recent televised interview, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his government would be proposing new laws against sexual harassment, in addition to stripping Weinstein of his prestigious Legion D’Honneur award.
The day after his TV appearance, the country’s gender equality minister, Marlène Schiappa, outlined the proposed changes (which would include instant fines for catcalling and lecherous behaviour in public) to La Croix newspaper. “The idea is that society as a whole redefines what is acceptable or not,” she said.
Speaking to RTL radio, Schiappa described the bill, which will be put to parliament next year, as “completely necessary because at the moment street harassment is not defined in the law”. This means that currently, women who experience harassment in the street cannot file legal complaints.
As for what constitutes “street harassment”, Schiappa gives the example of a man following a woman for blocks, or persistently asking for her phone number despite being ignored or told “no”.
“We know very well at what point we start feeling intimidated, unsafe or harassed in the street," she said.
If the bill passes, France will join New Zealand (as well as countries such as Belgium, Portugal and Argentina) in making street harassment and catcalling illegal.