Authorities examine measures Employees of the city of Zurich blow the whistle on Tiktoker
The Zurich woman could never have imagined this. When she filmed a video for Instagram in the city of Zurich, city employees whistled at her and made sexualized comments.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- 24-year-old Anika Van Laatum from Zurich accidentally captured a catcalling incident on video and shared it on social media.
- The incident occurred at the hands of employees of the Zurich Civil Engineering Office, whereupon the city declared that the behavior was being investigated and measures would be taken.
- Van Laatum received mostly positive feedback from women who shared their experiences.
Anika Van Laatum is 24 years old, lives in Zurich and has been a victim of catcalling - and she can prove it.
The 24-year-old regularly posts videos on Tiktok, YouTube and Instagram. Sometimes she shows her outfit, sometimes her everyday life and sometimes she gives tips on how to get bargains. Anika Van Laatum would hardly have thought that such content could be sexualized.
But that's exactly what happened to Anika Van Laatum on Thursday. "I was on my way to Oerlikon from home." The 24-year-old bought a new cell phone cover, which arrived in the post the same day. "It's a cover that you can stick to windows. I wanted to try it out and recorded a short video showing my outfit," explains Van Laatum.
Right at that moment, a vehicle drives past with its window open. Two workers call out to the 24-year-old: "You'll be fine, eh." Then one of them whistles, followed by a "Nice!" Van Laatum couldn't believe what was happening. "At first I didn't realize what had happened. Then I realized that I had inadvertently recorded evidence of catcalling." "Catcalling" is the term for verbal, sexual harassment. It's mainly men who do it.
They shout inappropriate phrases at women, whistle at them or call them derogatory names. For Van Laatum, it was by no means the first time something like this had happened. But the first time she has video evidence. "I then posted the video to my Instagram story. I asked if anyone recognized the work vehicle." In fact, a colleague of hers recognized the car because he works for the same company.
The city of Zurich comments
At the request of blue News, the city of Zurich commented on the incident. The Tiktok video was not yet known to the city. "The two people in the car are employees of the civil engineering office," it continued.
The Civil Engineering Office deeply condemns such behavior, which in no way complies with the City of Zurich's internal guidelines against sexism. "We take such behavior very seriously and are investigating the matter."
The city further explains: "Following this, any consequences or personnel law measures will be examined and implemented if necessary. We are also stepping up preventative measures for our employees."
Anika Van Laatum has mainly received positive reactions to the video. "Many women have told me about their experiences and praised me for having the courage to upload the video," she says. For her, it is unclear how something like this can happen. "It's the ultimate proof that as a woman, you don't have to be dressed revealingly for something like this to happen." Van Laatum was wearing loose pants, a top and sweater, Uggs boots and a large bag slung around her shoulders. "I don't understand what was the cause of whistling at me," she says.