abaya

Maybe a poll would be a good way to see to this. A poll with options for both men and women, and the extent to which they agree with "I'd hit it" being an offensive term. Incidentally, I just heard on BBC today that somewhere in the UK a construction company has banned wolf-whistling at women--and BBC asked a bunch of local women what they thought. Several said, "I'd love it! I haven't had that kind of attention in years!", but most said "Yeah, I don't like the PC police, but I like it even less when I'm looking to buy a new house and someone wolf-whistles at me." So, there is a variety of responses on the part of women to subjects like that, imagine.
In the grand scheme of sexism that I happen upon as a PhD student who interacts with Thai women most of the time (most of whom are in far more oppressive gender situations than I will EVER be)?... no, it is not hugely offensive, but it does instruct me on the character of people and who I choose to spend my time with.

However, in the grand scheme of, say, the Portuguese women who work in the canteen of the construction workers' site in downtown Reykjavik where I went to the other day, who most likely hears those kinds of comments on a daily basis, and has learned to NOT react to it in order to protect herself from further jabs and jeers?... yes, comments like these are no small thing. That's called learned helplessness, and is a form of oppression. From the brief conversation I had with one Portuguese woman about working there (in broken English), she's grown callous to the men's comments and tries not to pay attention anymore. So is that how women are supposed to "learn" how to react to this kind of behavior?

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran