The founder of the Chalk Back movement Sophie Sandberg is addressing the global Catcalling epidemic with sidewalk chalk.
Catcalling, a verbal form of street harassment, is an undeniable issue worldwide. A January 2021 YouGov survey found that 97 percent of the pooled women aged 18 to 24 have been sexually harassed in public spaces, and no less than 70 percent of women of all ages have experienced it. Young women worldwide are letting their voices be heard by forming a community through the unlikely allies of social media and sidewalk chalk via an organization called Chalk Back.
Created by Sophie Sandberg as a class project for her freshman year of college, Chalk Back quickly progressed into a global movement. Sandberg was originally assigned to educate and immerse herself in a global issue on social media; she wanted to do something to address catcalling in NYC. In an email interview with Mission, Sandberg explains, “I was always frustrated by the inappropriate comments that my friends and I received on the street, from when we were teens and even preteens. I was also frustrated that there weren’t many resources to address catcalling, and no one seemed to have any idea how to respond to it.” To inspire dialogue on the issue and encourage others to share their stories and take action, Sandberg took to Instagram and began writing catcalls told to her by other women via social media onto the sidewalks of NYC with chalk.
Chalk became the perfect inexpensive and washable medium to use in a public space and map out the catcalls on the city sidewalks where the interactions took place. Due to its color and childlike innocence, the chalk deeply contrasted with the vulgar and explicit words. Sandberg found that “people would stop because the colors caught their attention, and then they’re often taken aback by the messages.”
When media outlets in late 2017 discovered the Catcalls of NYC Instagram, the cause became viral. Sandberg never expected the immense feedback, “people started organically messaging me asking if they could start a page for their city. Now there are about 600 people involved in the movement on six continents. It’s been growing since 2017 and is still growing.”
What started as a single account became the international ‘Chalk Back’ movement, with chapters worldwide, from Kenya to
Lebanon and Sweden. These public artworks of activism provide a sense of community and support to victims of street harassment, spreading awareness to people who don’t face harassment or who may participate in harmful behavior. Sandberg further elaborates, “harassment is happening every day, it’s harmful, it’s not flirting or a compliment, it doesn’t make people feel good, it’s not okay. Everyone should be looking out for those facing harassment and get involved in the solution—speaking up against it, intervening when possible, and educating themselves and others about the harmful gender norms that often surround harassment.”
As the Chalk Back movement continues to flourish, new accounts are posting entries across their neighborhoods. Sandberg speaks on the future of Chalk Back, “I hope that chalk back members are invited to speak about our work in schools, workplaces, and other institutions so we can continue these important conversations on an even larger scale. I also hope we can partner with other amazing movements and activist groups to build better communities and use public art to inspire chan
Images courtesy of Chalk Back
