The terror, psychological distress, and limitations on personal liberty described in this article have apparent consequences for women as individuals. Not so apparent, are the consequences suffered by civilization as a whole. In effect, the harms of street harassment extend to its impact upon the affiliation between the sexes, upon the structure of gender in society, and upon community and political relations in general. A lot of analysts have concluded that the intention of street harassers is, in fact, to remind women of their gender identity and their place in civilization. Even though it is dangerous to draw conclusions from the effects of intentions, explanations are often gained.

This was a very interesting article. Harassment of women by strangers on the street has been around for a long time, but it is not something that I knew had a name to it. I also did not realize that it was such the widespread problem that it really is. I agree that this kind of behavior is very upsetting to women and is something that one should never have to go through. Women should have the same rights as men to walk down the street, mind their own business and go about their lives. They should not always be in fear of strangers that they pass, not knowing when someone will harass them or not.

This behavior is not likely...

It appears that it has been going on for a long time and is even thought to be engrained in people's upbringing. Society has for years perpetuated that women are second class and constantly have to be reminded of their place in society. This attitude is instill in men as they grow up and then frequently acted upon once they are grown. It appears that they only way that this behavior can be modified is if it is codified and thus made to be punishable.
Policies need to be put into place that makes this behavior illegal. If there was an expectation that there would be consequences for this type of behavior there is a chance that men would think twice before engaging in it. This problem can not be addressed and corrected until it is made to be a societal problem that needs to be fixed. Making it illegal would get the attention of society and thus make it so that people were aware that this is going on and work to end it. Women have the same rights as men in this society and should be treated with the same respect that men are. The rules should be the rules and apply to everyone, regardless of gender.

References

Bowman, Cynthia Grant. (1993). Street Harassment and the Informal Ghettoization of Women.

Harvard Law Review, 106(3), pp. 517-580.