Argentina News: Catcalling May Be a Criminal Offense Punishable by $775 Fine
Argentine lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would make catcalling a criminal offense.
The Associated Press reports that Victoria Donda, the congresswoman who has put forth the legislation, said that catcalling is only part of the problem.
"Lewd comments are just the tip of the iceberg that manifests itself in domestic violence," she said.
Under the new bill, women will be able to report sexual harassment that occurs in public places. A judge would then review the complaint and decide whether or not a fine should be imposed. If the accused is in fact found guilty, that person could face a fine of up to 7,000 Argentine pesos, or $775.
Elaborating on her reasons for introducing the bill via an emailed statement given to Fusion, Donda explained that street harrassment should not be accepted.
“In Argentina, street harassment is something that is widely accepted and women are subjected to hearing all kinds of comments about our bodies and our sex beginning at a young age," she said.
“To change that, we have to put the issue out there for discussion,” she added.
Recently the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, took to Twitter to denounce the common Argentine custom of men talking up women as they walk the street as a vile rather than a complimentary act.
The new legislation was in part inspired by a viral YouTube video posted back in April by a 20-year-old university student named Aixa Rizzo. In the video, Rizzo talks about being harassed by a group of male electricians outside of her home in Buenos Aires and make the case that verbal harassment could actually lead to physical abuse.
The video has received half a million views.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Rizzo talks about the on-going harrassment, explaining that she couldn't leave her home peacefully because the men were shouting at her for a whole month.
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