Everyone knows how women are treated by men. This is a very broad statement, of course, that does not reflect how every man treats every woman. However, we see women treated as things, and not as people, in everyday situations.
Whether women are dancing in the background of a music video or showing off their bodies to help sell something completely unrelated, like a new car, it is an undeniable fact that women are used as props and sexualized images throughout media, which is reflected in how some men treat them every single day.
Leah Green, a woman who is tired of how women are treated in society, decided to treat men how women are often treated and she recorded the men’s reactions.
Time reports that Leah Green went out to the streets of London to “prey on men.” She did several things that include cat calls, propositioning men for sex, asking whether or not they shave their privates, and staring creepily at them while they try to have a moment alone.
Time reports that Green is turning the tables on men when it comes to everyday treatment. Women are constantly heckled by men and some of the behavior is so accepted by society that it is not even deemed rude or offensive. Green specifically reenacts situations that are reported to The Everyday Sexism, a blog that accepts stories submitted by women about their sexist experiences.
Leah Greene, a video producer working for The Guardian, drives around London mimicking men’s behavior and is greeted by several offended, shocked, and uncomfortable reactions.
The Everyday Sexism website explains its goal is to bring awareness about sexism to the world through true stories women can submit to the site. It encourages women to “Say as much or as little as you like … By sharing your story you’re showing the world that sexism does exist, it is faced by women everyday and it is a valid problem to discuss.”
The website has a live feed where women can upload their personal sexism stories and has over 300 pages of both long and short stories, including “White van man throwing litter into my open top car because I ignored his catcalls at traffic lights” and “Young lad shouted ‘milk my tits love’ at me from his bicycle earlier. He might need to pick up a biology book.”
Watch the video below and share this article with anyone you feel could use a wake-up call.