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There's nothing that makes a woman's skin crawl quite like getting catcalled on the street. 20-year-old Amsterdam-based student Noa Jansma, much like the rest of us, was pretty fed up with it, and decided to do something about it. Throughout the month of September, she took a selfie with every single creep who harassed her and uploaded them on Instagram, captioning each one with the words of her abusers.

What do the photos say? By juxtaposing the catcallers' callous, unashamed grins with her own exhausted, painfully familiar expression, Jansma shows the world just how frequent, real, and disturbing these experiences are for women everywhere. She also gains power over them, though, by documenting their actions and putting them on display for the whole world to see. Though her own experiment has ended, she has opened the @dearcatcallers Instagram page for submissions in hopes of creating a global dialogue on the collective struggle women face.

From January 1st, 2018, catcalling will be punishable by law in Jansma's native Netherlands, and violators will be subject to fines of up to 190 euros ($220). If her daring project continues to go viral, perhaps more nations will follow suit.

More info: Instagram

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Amanda Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This made me throw up a little bit in my mouth. I definitely would NOT have let him put his disgusting paws on me.

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Amanda Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd of let him follow me straight to the police station... or church.

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Max Nabiev
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't get what's "disturbing" here? All I see are smiling people and one pissed off brainwashed leftist who sees everything in a negative light of her hate dogmas.

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CHRISTIE WAGNER
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree 100%, Max Nabiev and I'm female. That pained look on her face is both laughable and revolting. If she doesn't like catcalling then ignore it and walk past. There's nothing damaging or criminal about catcalling unless you're a neurotic, overly sensitive idiot, unbalanced, a mentally ill paranoid, or a man-hater..

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Huuuuugo
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is Madrid, I live like 100m down that street. In general Madrid is really safe for women. Really sad that she had to experience this.

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Suzanne Clark
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those guys are totally clueless. It doesn't matter how good looking (which most are NOT) they are, their behavior makes them UGLY!

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Neil Martin
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No black guy is going to follow a white women around for 10 minutes. Thats a full mile of walking. Stop lights, stop signs, police, or even Way Better Looking Women would of came across his path. This is clearly a lie, and since this is a lie I must assume they are all lies. I'm a photographer and most of my friends are female models. They get catcalled and yes its WRONG. But lying and making up extreme cases doesn't help. It makes it worse. A catcaller will think "Well, I just say hi, I dont follow them for 10 minutes, so I'm not the bad guy." And they will CONTINUE To do it because to them, it's not a big deal. Articles like this actually make them feel better. Like how an alcoholic who drinks everyday will say "I dont have a problem, other people drink and black out" Reading the comments here I can already tell the women will HATE my comment for being TRUE. And that's unfortunate. Catcalling is a Real Issue, and this does not help.

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CHRISTIE WAGNER
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't agree with these women. They're making mountains out of molehills. They're sissies hellbent on gender warfare. I've experienced catcalling since I was twelve. While it's isn't elegant and well-bred, it's the way certain men express their visual appreciation. And I've never had any man call anything vulgar to me. They've all been nice and sometimes very humorous so I just smile and sometimes wave if they're particular sweet (example: "I think I'm in love!") or funny. Grow up, women. There are true injustices in the world. This ain't one of them.

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Mandy Ashby
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very disturbing. This guy as all the creeps in the photo's need locking up

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Chris Gacsi
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope these pathetic losers' mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, female cousins, girlfriends, wives, coworkers see these are let them know how stupid and foolish they appear. Come on everyone, identify these guys, let the world know what they're doing. Asshats.

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Elena Mendiola Illescas
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I were those men I would be so ashamed and this guys even pose for the photo

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Stella Rose
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have an internet friend who lives in Amsterdam, I sincerely hope he's not like this when he gets older.

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Barbara Villegas
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I sure would like to know who teaches these people that it's OK to disrespect another person like this. It happens to men too, and it's wrong too.

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Amy Burdewik
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can I come with you? Geez, this guy is already coming, why did he bother asking?

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Amanda Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Attracted to how long she looks no doubt. Too bad there wasn't a photo of the license plate.

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Amanda Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Something tells me he's probably a virgin. He wouldn't now what to do with any girl. Perv.

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Amanda Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like he wanted to eat her, judging by the size of that belly, he probably did! Creep!

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Rebekah
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A bunch of men, at a table together. This just amplifies the scariness to me. Bastards.

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Agnes Jekyll
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That whistling is for each other. They know it won't get her attention, but it proves their manhood and humiliates her at the same time. If she ignores it, they get what they want. If she tells them off, it makes them even more proud of themselves. She's documenting it, and if they don't realize what tools they look like, at least everyone who sees them does.

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Cathy
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And all the time I was thinking 'well this doesn't happen in Amsterdam... Amsterdam people are polite'. Wrong. 😖

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LostSoul
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Hey girl, where are you going?" ~ "Home" ~ "Can we join? Where do you live? Think we can do fun things together"

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