Linnet Nyawira Mwangi, Kisumu, Kenya, SSH Blog Correspondent
Over the weekend I attended a friend’s birthday party in town but I had to leave early because I had a busy day the following day. After saying goodbye to my friends I decided to go get a cab outside and declined the offer to be walked out by some friends since everyone was having fun and after all, I would get one outside…or so I thought. After waiting for a few minutes I decide to walk to the next block which is usually more open so that I could get a cab with ease. Three men appeared from the direction I was heading to and from the noise they were making and their sluggish walk, you could easily tell (assume) they were drunk. The path was well lit so I had no fear and I continued walking towards them.
As I got closer to them, one shouted, “Hey sexy lady where are you cat walking to at this time of the night?”
A second voice asked, “Business is not good today, ha?” By now they were right in front of me.
Another voice crept in “Come with us we can pay you handsomely.”
By now, one of them had blocked my way and as he stepped close to me I shoved him angrily with my purse. This angered his counterparts who in turn started shouting at me in a language I could not understand. I had walked through this street many times during the day and evenings as I left work and I knew there were guards on duty in these business premises and if it got any worse I would scream and draw their attention. But I was not ready to let these men have their way. Harassing every woman they saw walking at night and misjudging us felt totally unacceptable!
By this time I was so angry and I quickly raised my voice at them and told them to treat women with respect and dignity and respect themselves too. One of them asked me why I was talking back at them and whether my mother did not teach me to listen to men talking as he took a step towards me and I told them it was my right to defend myself against harassment. They all burst out laughing asking me what right I was talking about. I then told one of the men to excuse me and if he touched me I would scream loud enough to attract the soldiers who were guarding a bank a few yards away and they would all end up in prison.
This worked and as I walked past them I could hear them shouting after me that I would never get married like other feminists with that kind of attitude. So they actually knew what they were doing if they referred to women who stood up for themselves as feminists? Luckily a cab appeared and I got in and I could not help but feel good that I had actually stood for myself and stopped some men from taking advantage of me. I realised that street harassers know what they are doing they are just preying on scared and fearful women to take advantage of.
Linnet is a student at Maseno University in Kisumu, Kenya pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sociology with IT. Follow her on Twitter @Shantel_lyn and Facebook @lynnette Shantellah.
