I grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the memory of my teen years is clouded by never ending bullying and street harassment that was very common in the city. Young men’s and boys’ verbal abuse, hurtful insulting words, the vulgar and sexually suggestive remarks I encountered every day in my neighborhood streets is permanently seared in my mind. Teen boys made it their mission to intimidate and terrorize me with verbal assaults. Often I dreaded leaving my house, and when I did I had to change my route to avoided encountering those vicious young men who made my life a living hell.
I felt it was THEIR STREET; I was an intruder, at fault for being born a girl. The street was my torment chamber.
Looking back I still hate those boys and often wonder if they ever realized or felt remorse for the emotional damage they did to me (and many more like me), if ever they realized what they did was plain wrong? I wonder if they continued their behavior as young men and grown ups with chauvinistic entitlement to harass and abuse their own girlfriends and wives.
One thing for sure, fear stopped me from speaking out, I chose to be silent; the community was not there for me and I was all alone and felt unworthy.
Now as an adult I decided to become activist, to be the VOICE that certainly was missing in my teen years, the voice that said “LEAVE HER ALONE! IT’S HER STREET TOO!”
– Anonymous
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
