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

I live in the Netherlands, and men actually think this is complimentary... as is staring at your chest and then winking at you... it's appalling, but they wonder what your problem is.

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

Interesting, where I live you never see this behaviour. Not because men don't think it, just different social norms.

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

She allowed him to touch her to prove how forward these asshats are. They think they have the right to touch a total stranger. My guess is, she shoved him off right after the pic, and I hope she told him to f**k off.

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

I was getting cat called all my life,each time I was looking good walking on the street.This was the only thing that would happen,always creepy,restarted or old guys that wanted to have "a piece of me".Worst was when they were touching me.Ofc,no one would care to help,no police around,my escape was to enter a store and stay there for hours,with my mood ruined.It affected me badly,I felt helpless and started to avoid walking,changed the way i dress to look not feminine.It is a kind of rape to me and it should get punish by the law.I think these guys do it because it is the closest thing to a rape that doesn't get punished and doesn't require effort and planning.The comments of this post's guy's are childish comparing to the ones i have heard.

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

That's the problem: unless you explicitly run away from these pervs, they will put their hands on you as though you approve. It's disgusting!

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

Awfully brave of that girl since there so many creeps out there!! Can't believe some men still act like cavemen!

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

This photo makes me ashamed to be a male of the species - what a disgusting pig!

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

This one is the sickest of them all, don't let them put their hands on you please. In their sick mind they will think it is a yes

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

Unlike the hypocrite teenagers on here that constantly remind us and everyone to "never judge a book by its cover" and not judge this guy on his looks and say ew, I'm going to highlight the sad thing here, her facial expression says a lot, she's dressed appropriately, not showing anything revealing and still gets called on. Another thing is body language, he is really more comfortable with touching her than all the others she took a selfie with so he's basically lonely.

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

Does he have his HAND on her??? I would have turned around and knee'd him in the balls

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Robert D'Antonio III
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cat calling by strange creepy men yet another category Europe and Latin America is much more highly advanced than America.

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

I don't know what to do with the "up" & "down" arrows. I like the posts but don't like the catcalls.

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

I was shocked to see that he put his arm around you. Brazen creep!

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

It seems that almost none of the men understand that she is highlighting their douche-baggery in these selfies.

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

I'd have given a hard and swift jab to his face with my elbow. Disgusting vermin.

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

This ugly creature never looks in the mirror....Should have been boxed for his behavior !!!

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

Does this guy not know how creepy he looks, I can only hope that his wife or adult children(he looks old enough) see this and he has to explain himself.

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

I'll bet some of these guys are either married or have girlfriends. Hmm, I wonder if their significant others read Bored Panda. And I wouldn't cross the street for any of them, they'd be lucky to have wives or girlfriends.

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

LOL! Can you imagine this picture the other way around? The baldy taking a selfie and a pretty lady "disturbing" his lovely pose? "This is a man's world"... somewone sing once :( will we be abble to change this one day?

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Robert D'Antonio III
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cat calling by strange creepy men…… Yet another category that Europe and Latin America is much more highly advanced than America.

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

Um...really? Because: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/jan/30/men-tricked-into-catcalling-their-own-mothers-the-video-that-went-viral

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

He should be arrested for putting his hands on her, nasty creepy fasm8le of human male

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

I think, that when she obviously ask to take a picture of them, she held her phone up, got them both "centered", and did what most people do next; an indication that you are about to snap the photo, by asking if you are ready, telling you to say cheese, ect. , and , also, like a lot of people do, they pose for the picture, which this man did, and I think, out of habit, when he posed, that was the second his hand went on her shoulder. And left her shoulder as soon as she snapped the photo. I am sure she noticed and felt it there, or, she may not have given it any thought whatsoever-how many times, when you take a selfie with someone...even if it is someone you don't know, like a waiter that went out of his way for you at dinner, and u want to snap a pic of the two of you...you are gonna lean in, a lot of times somebody throws their arm around another.....you get my point I am trying to make. It was just a pose for a picture. Ok, I am finished. 😀

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James Brigham (Bigg) Bunyon
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And if all the attention stopped, most women would wonder have they gotten ugly or are they too old to be appealing any more. Remember that little photo essay on anxiety?

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

That's sexual assault. Hope it is prosecuted. Wish more millennials would use their phones. "Wolf calls" in the seventies pretty much ended. This millennial generation seems to have brought it all back.

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

So what? How big are your Tits? Can I grab you by the pussy?

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

It's when they stop catcalling you then u need to worry. What a problem to have.

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

This is a great idea. Maybe I should take a picture of all the women who catall me and accuse me of being gay/r******d/a rape apologist/get physically violent when I turn them down.

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

This is something that burdens you on a consistent, daily basis? Is it entirely unsolicited interaction initiated by these women you're referencing? If you answered no to the above questions, you missed the point.

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CHRISTIE WAGNER
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6 years ago

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What a sissy female. Does she consider this painful and oppressive? Just walk past it and ignore it. There are true injustices in this world. Some fellow vocal in his appreciation of you, and perhaps a little vulgar, won't kill you. I've experienced this kind of thing since I was twelve. So what? If they're not vulgar--which in my experience they've never been--I just smile and even wave.

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

You've had different experiences than many other women, if you've never had vulgar treatment via catcalls. Consider yourself lucky, but not the model that all women should live by.

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Ruben Monteiro
Community Member
6 years ago

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Yes, now ask her to take photos of the d***s she swallows.

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Ruben Monteiro
Community Member
6 years ago

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Good now ask her to take photos of the d***s she must swallow :D

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

Dudebro, chill out. There's probably a pickup artist den somewhere on the internet where you'd fit in better...

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Simon Falla
Community Member
6 years ago

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Perhaps if she spent less time taking selfies of herself, and dirty old men..she'd get less catcalls?...just a thought

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

Cameron: maybe you have difficulty with self-control, but that's you. Speak for yourself, not for the rest of the men in the world. I have no "natural behavior" to catcall women. No man does. It's a toxic masculinity behavior to act out your base instincts and blame the target of your impulses. You should look within yourself for both the problem and the solution and stop blaming women for your failure to exercise restraint and self-control.

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Miguel Denyer
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6 years ago

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There's 3 sides to every story... what she said, what he said, and what really happened... nothing in any of these photos suggests that she was catcalled - photobombed yes... instant idiot - just add camera... That being said... a photo does not offer proof of catcalling... attention seeking yes... but not harassment... we only have this girl's word for it that what she claims, is actually happening... especially since, if she wanted to offer evidence of verbal harassment, she could have just as easily switched the cellphone camera to video mode... a picture tells a thousand words... but that doesn't mean they are the right ones. Personally speaking, with a lack of ACTUAL evidence, and looking at the way others are interacting with her on camera... I'm going with photobombing as opposed to catcalling and attention seeking rather than being victimized... don't get me wrong - there are literally millions that are stalked and harassed every day - she's not #notbuyingit

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

She's not testifying in a court of law. She's sharing her experience. The fact that you automatically doubt her word without "proof" is disheartening, to say the least. What is it about her or about women in general that makes you distrust her account of these interactions? And what do you think she has to gain by fabricating this and posting it on her own 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

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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