Banning catcalling would “increase awareness” around the issue, a Lunchtime Live listener has said. 

The British Government has recently backed plans to make street harassment a crime punishable by up to two years in jail and some believe the Irish Government should do likewise. 

Audrey first experienced catcalling when she was just 16-years-old and working a summer job. 

On the way to work there was a construction site and as many as 10 men would down tools to make crude remarks about her body. 

“I felt intimidated, I felt ashamed,” she recalled. 

In the end, things got so bad that Audrey changed her route to work in order to avoid the abuse. 

“I do think that it should be made illegal because it will increase awareness around it,” she said. 

“We need to talk about these things and discuss what the impact is because at the end of the day, if one of those men discovered it was their daughter, their sister, their mother on the street, they would immediately say to their peers, ‘Hold on, back off. That’s my family - leave them alone.’

“And if it’s something that you wouldn’t want to happen to your family, then why would you treat other people like that?” 

Gardaí patrolling Dublin city centre during Level 5 Covid-19 lockdown. Image: Artur Widak / Alamy

After talking with friends and family about it, she was “surprised” to learn that it is still common all these years later. 

She is sceptical about how a ban would work in practice, but is in no doubt that one is needed. 

“I do agree that there will be a problem in relation to prosecutions and proving this,” she said. 

“At the same time, I don’t think that’s a reason that we should just accept it.”

Not all callers thought it was practical to bring in a full ban; Judy’s son has been catcalled but she still thinks it would be a waste of Garda time and effort. 

“I think it’s ridiculous to make it illegal because how on earth are the Guards going to police something like that?” she queried. 

“When they can’t even police crime in rural Ireland.” 

Main image: An anti-cat calling protest. Picture by: Alamy.com