"No Catcalling Zones" Are Showing Up in Big Cities

Forget no-parking zones: What cities really need are no-catcalling zones. Signs designating just that have popped up around two big cities, and the concept really ought to stick.

According to Gothamist (opens in new tab), the signs come from the clothing company Feminist Apparel (opens in new tab). The company noted (opens in new tab) on Twitter that the campaign was funded from T-shirt sales on their website. The company partnered up with Pussy Division, a feminist activist group based in Philadelphia.

So far, the signs can be spotted in New York and Philadelphia—Brokelyn (opens in new tab) notes that about 50 signs have been put up in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and NYC has also been plastered with stickers featuring the same design. Though some have already been taken down, many of the signs are still in place.

The project was timed to coordinate with the fifth annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week (opens in new tab), which takes place from April 12-18. Activists will hold rallies in 25 countries around the world to make public places safer for women. Meanwhile, a real "no-catcall zone" was almost a reality in 2010, when the New York city council debated the concept (opens in new tab), so maybe a few signs might get people talking again!

You should also check out:

Catcalling Women Can Have Seriously Dark Consequences (opens in new tab)

These Chinese Feminists Were Put in Jail for Protesting Sexual Harassment (opens in new tab)

A Kickass New Project Is Shedding Light on Street Harassment (opens in new tab)