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| / Courtesy of YouTube |
By Lee Ji-hye
A video of a woman being catcalled over 100 times as she walks through New York City is drawing attention to the issue of sexual harassment.
"Ten Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman" captures men ogling Shoshana Roberts, dressed in black T-shirt and jeans, and incessantly shouting comments such as "Somebody's acknowledging you for being beautiful, you should say thank you more," and "Hey baby, hey beautiful"
The video says that "more than 100 instances of verbal street harassment took place within 10 hours, involving people of all backgrounds…This doesn't include the countless winks, whistles, etc."
Roberts, a 24-year-old actress, was videotaped using a GoPro camera. The footage was produced by Hollaback!, a non-profit organization to works to end street harassment.
Hollaback founder and executive director Emily May told the BBC that the project intends to show "victims of harassment that they aren't alone, and to demonstrate to those who have never experienced such treatment how intimidating it can be."
One man followed Roberts for more than five minutes without saying anything.
A top comment posted on Reddit read, "That guy just walking silently next to her for five minutes was creepy."
When asked about the encounter, Roberts said "I thought I was going to burst into tears…but I just used my acting training, and I kept my composure.
Rob Bliss, who shot the hidden camera footage told the BBC, "I don't have an expectation of changing anyone's behavior, but I wanted a guy to see what it's like from a neutral, third-person perspective what it's like to experience street harassment."
The video ignited a fierce debate in the online community, with some stating that the men were "simply just complimenting the woman on the street."
"I hope it will make harassers consider their actions," Roberts rebutted. "I don't know what needs to happen, but clearly something does."
