My favourite topic at the moment is wolf whistling. The combination of reading great feminist sites and a fantastic book (Rethinking Violence against Women-Dobash and Dobash)has made me realise that I am not alone in feeling uneasy walking past groups of men and walking by building sites.

In fact two incidences spring to mind when I'm positively fuming about this-
1-group of builders near where I used to work-EVERY day they would say/do something disgusting-I did nothing but not want to walk there!
2-being groped in a club and telling the letch to "go away". He called me mental and for a split second I thought I was- grrr.
So on the back of these fume inducing incidences I started thinking about wolf whistling.

Wolf whistling is irritating. It's intrusive, offensive and makes me angry. Firstly, I can't imagine if any women has ever taken up the challenge and responded positively (although I do remember a story about a telephone number on a polo packet) and secondly, I believe it is nothing less than out and out sexual harassment.

It seems to be simply for the pleasure of other men and to scare or intimidate women. Male bravado perhaps- but the lengths to which groups of men will go to impress each other whilst working topless smacks of the apparent paradox of homo-phobia and homo-eroticism.

In an exclusively male environment the need to assert masculine modes of "normal" behaviour is seemingly heightened. Heterosexuality is associated with aggression, and the louder or more puerile the statement the more hetero it is. Asserting heterosexuality on the one hand and impressing your work buddies in one go. Brilliant work boys.

Wolf whistling is not only experientially offensive but it is symbolic of the need to dominate the public arena. A woman who walks past a building site is out of her "territory" and thus is open to all. The context of gendered power relations makes this act one of sexual violence. Thinking about sexual violence within a circular framework (see above book) makes me even more adamant that this is an act of sexual violence-it is intimidating, demeaning and is directed in the most part towards women. (I keep stumbling across men saying that it happens to them as well but I doubt on such a grand scale)

This issue yet again highlights the need for a reworking of British cultural and social norms in respect to gender relations. It is deemed uptight or humorless to be offended by such behaviour. Women are meant to respond positively to this behavior- certain celebrities applaud this "recognition" of.. well what exactly? That you are your body and men are entitled disprove or approve of your body and therefore your self.

However, there are some brilliant sites out there that talk about street harassment, for example anti-street harassment BUT the fact remains-it is not our responsibility to not get whistled at so whose is it? and how can it be stopped? Crucially, where are the men in this debate?