"Some activists have targeted city planners and the public transport officers to make the case that women should not face harassment in the streets, " says Zippel.

BBC: Why do men shout at women in the street?

Because society has perpetuated this as a cultural norm, men tend to engage in street harassment as a way to prove their masculinity, says Northeastern University associate professor of sociology Kathrin Zippel.

BBC: Why do men shout at women in the street?