WOMEN OF WESTERN: #NoWomanEver

The hashtag #NoWomanEver recently made waves on Twitter  and a much needed conversation about street harassment ensued. Twitter user @ImJustCeej began the hashtag frenzy after feeling several men on her Twitter timeline “were being woefully obtuse about street harassment,”  she told BuzzFeed News . Nearly every woman has experienced it: walking down a sidewalk, minding their own business, when that is suddenly disrupted. Often it’s the short beeps of a car horn, a low whistle or the shout of something obscene from a car window.  While catcalling is more often than not invalidated and written off as harmless fun , #NoWomanEver portrays just how problematic street harassment is. CJ, the source of the hashtag, started the string of Tweets with a personal experience:

"He blocked me from walking to the register when I was ignoring him in CVS and we been together since that day!" -NO WOMAN EVER

— Miss Black Awareness (@ImJustCeej) June 18, 2016

Oh no, I wasn't ignoring you. I just didn't hear your degrading comments the first time. Thanks for getting louder and closer. #NoWomanEver — Hayley Heninger (@adequatehalo) June 20, 2016

He followed me into my building after yelling at me for blocks. I realized then he was the man for me and let him into my apt #NoWomanEver

— Lil Freedia (@antinewblack) June 18, 2016

"How did your dad and I meet? Well, kids, when he grabbed my ass on the subway, I knew he was the one." #NoWomanEver — Alice Hayes (@AliceIsFierce) June 20, 2016

"When he pulled my earplug outta my ear for not responding? My heart melted" - #NoWomanEver

— Real Black (@ruBixCuBedHeart) June 18, 2016

Are you seriously telling us grown men what we can look at? Think about how stupid that sounds. #NoWomanEver https://t.co/dENz2mBdic — Indomitable2 (@Magnificent869) June 18, 2016

#nowomanever is so so stupid n my mind. Harassment isn't limited to one gender. Let's start #Nomanever. Let's be equal to all not just one

— Nicks1010 (@GhostFad3d) June 19, 2016

One Twitter user had a different take on the hashtag:

My gods these trolls are stupid. And why they're so very offended by women talking about their RL experiences is beyond me. #NoWomanEver — The Reddest Rose (@TheReddestRose) June 19, 2016

In a recent national survey ,  more than 90 percent of  participants believed that there are ways to end street harassment. The group was split on two ends of the spectrum. Fifty-five percent of respondents felt the best remedy to be an increased number of security cameras and police presence, while 53 percent suggested educational workshops about respectful interactions with strangers. While #NoWomanEver may not dramatically change the landscape of the culture that normalizes catcalling, it has started an important discussion with a sarcastic twist.

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