It’s not considered appropriate for men to comment on my body, so why do female colleagues think they can?

Well maybe he wouldn't have but it sounds like the women were being genuinely complimentary. To hold them responsible for the inappropriate way a man spoke to you is actually pretty misogynistic. The only one responsible for his comment was him.

You don't like anyone complimenting your weight loss and that's how you feel, but to blame the women for the fact that complimenting you in a respectful way led to this man being a pig isn't fair.

Lots of people do like compliments on their weight loss, especially when they've worked pretty hard to achieve it (I know i did). My mil was annoyed the other day that she's lost some weight and no ones mentioned it so it is all just personal preference in that respect.

I think this is less about male and female comments, and more about him being drunk.

If he’d been sober, do you think it’s possible that he’d just have made a suitable comment that wouldn’t have been lewd?

Unwanted attention is unwanted from men or women, if someone reports unwanted attention to the police do they check if it nice or not unwanted attention before acting?

It depends on your relationship surely. I have close friends who will tell me that my bum or boobs look great in an outfit... it would be really weird coming from someone I was less close to though.

I think you are wrong to link what she said with your male colleagues objectification. Women aren't to blame for men's words or actions and your thought process smacks of holding women accountable for male behaviour. But I do think it's inappropriate in its own right (unless you are also close friends outside of work and regularly compliment each other in this way?).

Sounds like people were nice to you, yes you must immediately report them, what a crime 🙄

The man shouldn’t have referred to your arse at a work do especially, but this isn’t women’s fault, he’s responsible for his own behaviour. It’s not their fault for speaking and it’s not your fault for having a great arse 🤷‍♀️ your female colleagues commenting on it doesn’t sound offensive though, take the compliment.

Ultimately blaming a woman for instigating a man’s inappropriate comments is quite the stretch.

I have absolutely no problem if a woman compliments my figure.

Women are traditionally responsible for men’s bad behaviour.

Give it a rest. One of those behaviours is offensive and the offender is responsible for that. The other is a compliment. You know that but for some reason you are trying to tie yourself in knots trying to make a man’s behaviour a woman’s problem. You really need to ask yourself why do you do that.

I would feel awkward if a mixed group were commenting on parts of my body. Don't think there's any greater theory behind that situation.

Better to be looked over than overlooked, OP.

it doesn't really matter why he said it, he CHOSE to say it. You're blaming women for mens behaviour.

yes it is probably better to not make personal comments on people's body unless you're very close and you know they won't mind. but that doesn't make his lewd comment her fault

Exactly. It doesn’t matter that a woman made it easier for him to say something inappropriate.
She was saying something genuinely complimentary (at least in her eyes) with no ulterior motive. Poorly judged perhaps. But he went straight into lewd and inappropriate. That’s clearly on him.

In addition, if any woman went to HR complaining about another woman complimenting them I would assume she was utterly insane and would give her a very wide berth in the office.

Of course he blamed a women for his own stupid, pervy behaviour 🙄 always the fault of a female, right? They push men into everything.

"You look great" - good
"Your body part looks good" - bad

You can't bloody win! Friends who have lost weight get really upset when people don't notice.
The women were complimenting you. It how women break the ice in conversations or initiate conversations. They open with a compliment and the other women usually bats it off. It's a well understood rhythm of female communication. The man, on the other hand was a pervy letch and this is also socially well understood!
Women can compliment other women on their physic and men are being creepy if they do it!
Stop blaming women for men's behaviour! He knew what he was doing!

If you want to report - then report both of them. Both were inappropriate. 🤷‍♀️

In which case both are equally responsible. And yet the OP seems to suggest that the man would have been able to control his urges to comment had it not been for a woman speaking up first. I know, it's a subtle difference but it's there.

Quite

Stop blaming women for a letch's comments!

Did you miss the part where she said the women said it first? They specifically commented on her bum.

Both the women and the men were lewd and gross and I would report them to HR for inappropriate comments.

You don't know that. And it is actually quite telling that you found a way to blame a woman for a man's behaviour.

Why are you excusing him?

You dont know that he wouldn't.

He is in the wrong, not the initial person who said you looked great. Stop making excuses for the letch.

I think yabu

Men will be men and their actions are their own. The women were being nice to you.