Piropos, flattery or harassment? The perception of gendered interactions in public spaces in Colombia

The notion of street harassment became a subject of public debate in Latin America in the 2010s, with the emergence of activist groups, national and municipal legislation, and awareness campaigns across the continent. These endeavours must contend with a relatively positive image of comments directed toward women in public places regarding their physical appearance, commonly called piropos. This Spanish word, which translates as “compliments” or “flattery,” is indicative of a certain prevalence and social acceptance of the practice in the region. By studying concrete examples of sexualized interactions in urban public spaces in Bogotá, Colombia, this article analyses the multiple hierarchies that affect the ways in which we access public spaces, and that complicate the interpretation, acceptation and contestation of interactions commonly considered to be street harassment. It concludes that in the context of the case study, sexualised interactions known as piropos can be understood as part of a continuum of interactions that range from violence to positively perceived interaction. In so doing, it seeks to contribute to reflections concerning cross-cultural efforts to combat street harassment.