Holly Kearl, On Why Cat Calls Have Got to Go

‘This is a Harassment-Free Zone,’ one sign warns. ‘Curb Your Animal Instincts,’ another orders. Combine postings like these, proposed by women’s rights advocates, with blunt commands”Stop It!”and women around the world can begin to make city streets safer, writes Holly Kearl in her new book, ‘Stop Street Harassment: Making Public Places Safe and Welcoming for Women’ (Praeger, $44). Kearl will talk about women’s experiences getting hassled and worse in public places, and suggest ways to defend themselves on Wednesday, October 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Ave. She hardly knew there was such a thing as street harassment when she was a teenager growing up in Pacific Palisades. As a student at Paul Revere Middle School, Kearl won first prize for her original short story in the PTA’s countywide ‘Reflections’ writing competition in 1996. But later, while she was attending Santa Clara University near San Jose, Kearl scrimmaged past cat calls and whistles nearly every time she went jogging. Conversations with other women who had stories of their own, some of them harrowing, led her to write a master’s thesis on harassment at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She now works with AAUW, a national women’s equity organization based in Washington, D.C. where she addresses issues of equal rights for women and girls. ‘Stop Street Harassment’ is her first book. In surveys and interviews she conducted, Kearl found that the majority of women she polled had been followed by a stranger at least once. Some said they changed the route they took to work, or even changed jobs, hoping to avoid taunts and insults. ‘Street harassment limits women’s access to public places,’ Kearl told the Palisadian-Post. Not all men sympathize with the problem. ‘A lot of men told me they whistle at a woman as a compliment. It doesn’t go any further,’ Kearl said. ‘Some women are flattered, but many of them worry. ‘Is he dangerous? Am I alone? Can I get away?’ ” In her book, Kearl includes tactics women have used to steer clear of hassles on the street (avoid eye contact, for one). She also points out some of the unexpected things that activists have proposed to raise awareness, such as warning signs posted on city streets. But she did not write her book for women, only. ‘I’m trying to reach the good guys,’ Kearl said. ‘I hope they will help to educate the others.’