Street harassment has been a national conversation ever since Hollaback’s controversial video featuring a woman getting harassed on the street in New York City went viral. Hollaback held their third annual anti-harassment event in Washington Square Park last Saturday, raising awareness and providing workshops for women recovering from assault. It also reinforced the notion that street harassment is not complimentary or harmless. Hollaback’s rally, held in the heart of NYU’s campus, reflects the community’s affirmation that whistles and unsolicited comments about a woman’s appearance normalize a culture of gender-based violence. Campus groups such as Students for Sexual Respect at NYU should be commended for raising awareness about these issues. College should be a time for personal growth, and while some may see street harassment as a small issue in the grand scheme of things, it is emblematic of bigger issues and must be rebuked.

This event comes at a time when sexual harassment is a national conversation. Sexual misconduct on college campuses has been a topic of mainstream news in recent months — currently, 106 colleges are under federal investigation for possible Title IX violations in their handling of sexual assault cases. Last October, a video depicting a woman enduring a barrage of harassing comments as she wandered the streets of New York City went viral and and sparked a widespread debate on how women are viewed in public. Even Rolling Stone’s fumbled handling of the now-discredited University of Virginia rape story has played a part in pushing this issue to the forefront.

In response to the national debate, NYU created an online training course aimed at curbing sexual assault on campus. Some students complained about the mandatory nature of the program because sexual assault victims could be triggered, but requiring all students to complete it reflects NYU’s commitment to fighting this national epidemic.

Recents events like by Students for Sexual Respect at NYU’s #BetterSexTalk and upcoming events like Ally Week and Take Back the Night create a forum through which students can learn to have a conversation about these often difficult to discuss issues. These events do a great job of bringing these issues out into the open so students feel more comfortable about having a frank discussion.

The responsibility to create a safe, empowering environment for women on campus is everyone’s responsibility. Individual attitudes toward victim-blaming must change, but misogyny is ingrained in institutions as well. Take gender wage disparities: white women are paid 78 percent of what a white man earns, and Hispanic women earn just 54 percent of what a white man earns. Changing these dysfunctional societal norms should start on college campuses, and conversations surrounding street harassment are a positive start.

A version of this article appeared in the April 13 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].