A whistle and a honk of the horn. “Phoooar I’d like a piece of that!” shouted one man out of the window. “Smile love!” called the other as I did my best to ignore them…
Sound familiar? Nottinghamshire Police said last week that it would expand its definition of a hate crime to include misogynistic incidents. Should this be extended to the rest of the country? Or do you think it’s a all a big fuss about nothing?
Nottinghamshire Police says it aims to reduce sexist abuse and to make the county a safer place for women. Chief Constable Sue Fish told the BBC: ‘What women face, often on a daily basis, is absolutely unacceptable and can be extremely distressing.’
Recording misogyny as a hate crime will provide a detailed picture of how often, when and where it is happening – information for analysis previously unavailable. It will mean that victims can be offered support and the hope is that more women will have the confidence to come forward.
Listen again to NWR’s Katherine Latham talking to Andrew Edwards on BBC Radio Leeds.
We want to know what you think! How has it made you feel when you’ve been wolf whistled? Leave your comments below.
Photo by Phillipe Leroyer