Women shouldn’t have to put up with the perves

FOLLOWING some discussion in “CityNews” in 2022 about women in the local construction industry, it is concerning to realise how little has changed over past decades.

Many male construction workers, at least those of a certain age, continue to maintain the traditional masculinity attitudes and beliefs that they were obviously brought up with. These include the notion that the sexual objectification of women is natural and acceptable.

True story: while walking through an ACT shopping centre, where they are doing construction work, a group of these male workers observed a number of female shoppers who were scantily dressed, including some allegedly with “no knickers and skirts half-way up their bums”. The men proceeded to comment to each other in detail about these women and their manner of dress.

When this event was discussed later that day with a worker’s family members, a heated argument ensued. Female family members argued that women should not have to put up with being perved at because of how they dress on a hot day, and the male worker was absolutely adamant that the men had done nothing wrong, that women know exactly what they are doing and if they do not want that sort of attention, they should not dress that way.

The male worker claimed that if the subject of this attention was his daughter or granddaughter, he would talk to them about how they should dress when out in public – and in no way would he blame the men for reacting the way that they did.

I had to remind myself that this is 2023. Would be interested to know what others think.

Karina Morris, Weetangera