As a woman, being “catcalled” or “hollered at” inherently comes with being born with two X chromosomes. While some ladies may find it flattering, for others, it can be a nuisance or extremely uncomfortable. I fall into the latter category.
We were forewarned about the catcalling culture in the Dominican Republic. Sure, while catcalling will likely occur anywhere a woman goes, in this country, it is expected and even semi acceptable. I was informed that in the Dominican culture the catcalling is a declaration of appreciation and admiration for the female form. While I cannot speak on behalf of the women in the Caribbean, for me, I cannot accept the catcalling culture as it only perpetuates the notion that a woman’s value is her physical appearance. I’ll admit, in the 3 days that I have been in the Dominican Republic, there have been some polite, admiring comments said towards our group of women. Yet, those comments are still in the minority of the remarks that have been openly and unapologetically said towards our group.
What is frustrating is that there is nothing I can do to change my circumstances in being subject to catcalling. If I pretend I don’t hear the crude remarks or act like I don’t feel the eyes scanning my body head to toe, then the issue never gets addressed. On the other hand, if I address the comments, I run the risk of promoting the harassment either through more insistent commentary or eliciting aggression. If I am too nice, they could persist; if I am too stern, they could be angered. I have no choice but to lower my head and make myself smaller out of feeling uncomfortable and feeling powerless. As a Hispanic American who can fearlessly walk the streets alone in Atlanta, these new oppressive feelings have been challenging for me.
I noticed that I am less tolerant of the catcalling here in the Dominican Republic than back at home. I realized that it is because at home, my saftey is on my own terms. I speak the native language, know my rights, intimately know the culture, and, to an extent, know the people. Conversely, catcalling is more challenging for me to experience in the Dominican Republic because not only am I a woman, but I am also a foreigner. In this instance, the power dynamic is certainly skewed and not in my favor. It makes me wonder if a Dominican woman might feel similarly uncomfortable experiencing catcalling back in Atlanta. Or maybe, because the catcalling culture is so rampant in the DR, she wouldn’t know the difference— maybe having accepted that such behaviors are simply a part of life as a woman.
I must stress that while I do not accept how nonchalant catcalling is in the Dominican Republic, this is no reflection on my general feelings about the country, its people, and the culture as a whole. As a Caribbean descendant, the Dominican people are like family to me. In fact, the Dominican culture is exceptionally similar to my Puerto Rican heritage from sharing similar dishes (and arguing who started it first) to finding any reason to throw a party and celebrate with friends and family. The one pervasive part of the Caribbean culture we all share is our love for dance.
After spending a night dancing in the Dominican Republic, I propose that dance itself is the Caribbean paradox that cures the gender imbalances caused by catcalling culture. This was most obvious on Sunday when our group visited Las Ruinas in Santo Domingo for live music and dancing. The outdoor plaza was crowded with people of all ages and stages coming together to enjoy traditional Spanish music. There were babies in the arms of their mothers being rocked to the ritmos (rhythms) of the music. There were couples ranging from 20s-60s dancing the night away. In American culture, there is certainly not the same level of heterogeneity seen in nightlife (which is usually predominated by the 20s-40s). In the Dominican Republic, the family friendly party was in full swing on a Sunday night (and every Sunday night) to celebrate nothing more than another wonderful day of the week. It was quite awe inspiring.
I have theorized that if dance can bring together the entire Dominican population, likely, it also helps bridge the gap between the inequalities in men and women (as perpetuated by catcalling culture). Of course, from an American perspective, a place of dance (like a club) is that last place to assume gender equalities can be formed. But to dance in the Caribbean is to pay homage to the great artists who enriched the cultures and all of our ancestors who danced before us.
Dancing for Caribbeans is a sacred activity that cultivates dignity and respect that can only be translated through movement. When dancing is involved, the men certainly look, but in this instance it is less about a woman’s physical appearance and more about her ability to translate these sacred rituals into passionate, rhythmic movements. When dancing, women are then valued for what they can do, not what they look like. Additionally, the Latin dance traditions require that the man concede his power and make himself vulnerable to ask a woman’s hand to dance. The woman then has the power of consent in which she may accept or deny the man’s gesture. On both sides of the courtship, what matters more is how well the counterpart has performed and less about age, background, appearance, or status. If consent has been granted, the woman then concedes the power back to the man who now must lead her in the popular partnered dances of Latin America. In the dancing culture, the power dynamics are consensual, even exchanges which makes for a comfortable, open, enjoyable experience that brings both genders together in a shared love for music and dance.
In getting to dance for a night in the Dominican Republic, I found that for the first time on this trip I was comfortable being around the opposite sex. To have dance be the priority and focus of everyone’s attention was a welcomed relief. Still, I can’t help ponder the intriguing duality between a man on the street versus a man dancing. Likely, the very men who were brazen enough to catcall us on the streets a few hours earlier were the same guys who were courteous gentlemen asking my hand to dance. For me, that shows that the men have an inherent understanding of how to treat a woman, yet, disregarded respectful treatment outside of the dance clubs. If only the respect could bleed into the waking hours of daily life. Maybe then all women could walk in the streets in peace without fear of the very men we trusted the night before to ask our hand to dance.
Thank you for sharing this experience! Public health research shows over and over how gender, specifically gender inequality, impacts the physical and mental health. I love how you described the impact of this community dancing! Since the research shows that income can be a determinant of health, I sometimes see public health workers championing pay (wage) equity as a way to promote health for women. Any other ideas on how students, faculty, and staff at the GSU School of Public Health could address gender inequality to promote positive health outcomes?
I’d also like to add that a patriarchal society can make a woman feel humiliated and ashamed of her body. “How women are represented in health culture” and society plays a big role in gender inequality. For example, many young girls are given baby dolls to play with. These dolls are made advanced to where they are able to talk to ask for food, poop, and more. I believe toys like this set an image for our young girls to believe that all they are destined to be is nothing more than a mother. As we have learned, gender-based and obstetric violence is prevalent in the Dominican Republic. Women should be provided with resources and education during and after pregnancy. As Marisa mentioned, it all comes back to changing the way we view the superficial qualities of women in society.
What a lovely and insightful question, thank you! I had every intention to keep the answer short and concise; but, once my thoughts started flowing, I got carried away! Even so, there is still so much to be said. So, here is my preliminary idea (third paragraph) and my reasoning behind it:
My personal philosophy is that the biggest impacts start small. In this case, gender inequity can be addressed through starting with the self. We women are not victims. Our society continues to recycle the archetype that a woman needs saving, is weak, or inferior. Now, are inequities present, absolutely. Can they be changed? Of course! Women make up half of the population. We have more power to change the unsavory aspects of gender inequalities than we think. It starts with believing and internalizing our individual strength, worth, and contributions to society.
A huge impediment to establishing self-efficacy and self-worth is simply being in an environment that again, continues to perpetuate antiquated ideals that have insidiously rooted themselves into our subconscious. That is why the acceptance of catcalling can be so dangerous. These “harmless” and “complimentary” comments are providing positive reinforcement for our flesh, not our faculty. Beauty is subjective and fleeting, achievements last a lifetime.
What we need is to continue efforts to build an environment that supports and uplifts women. We must be intentional about eliminating the limiting beliefs imposed by society. I am a big fan of reframing mindsets, stress management, and self-care. Workshops, safe space groups, social media outreach, mental health courses, etc. are always great to provide for the general population. It would be helpful too to incentivize such opportunities to help expose people who may have stigmas around self-care and mental health. Maybe this is an indirect or over simplified solution to addressing gender inequalities, but a right mind leads to right thoughts and right thoughts lead to right actions.
If a woman is taught (and practices!) self-care (through workshops, seminars, safe space groups, media exposure, etc.) then she will have a better self-esteem and more confidence. Feeling confident in who she is and what she stands for improves her self-efficacy and reframes the way she sees the world. She is now less susceptible to the limiting beliefs of others. Her cultivated and supportive environment, and her brilliant mind validates her worth.
She applies to that prestigious corporate job because she knows she is just as worthy as anyone else, male or female. They offer her the job, yay! Then she is quoted a salary, a salary that is 21% less than what she knows is the standard pay. She counters the quote to meet the standard wage and she is denied—doesn’t quite have all of the qualifications. She could accept the lower wage because after all, this is the job to have. Then she realizes that no job is worth compromising her integrity. She politely declines, the interviewer is shocked, no one has ever said no to such a prestigious opportunity. She reasons that she would rather invest her time in a company that will tend to the fire within her rather than withhold the kindling and extinguish it completely. But she is not worried, she will never settle for less because she knows she is worth more.
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