I am 48 years old now, I lived through one attempt of rape when I was 15, four men showing me their private parts (once in the train, once when I went home on my bike and two times when I was horse riding in the woods), three men grabbing and touching me in shops and bars. And probably a hundred times of being yelled at, hissed at, asked for my phone number, and comments about my tits etc. etc… the more ʺmildlyʺ stuff. 🙁
When I was young I thought it was normal to feel unsafe. It didn’t occur to me that it is not normal at all, but it is. I have three daughters, it is hard to explain why men behave like they do. That you cannot feel safe and you have to be careful not to give them an excuse to harass you, because they will and they will probably get away with it.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
I think we have to make men aware of the fact that a woman always needs to be careful around them and feels they cannot be trusted. That we feel unsafe if we are in an alone situation with them, every woman feels it! And not without reasons.
– Jill Kramer
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
