A man driving by while I was walking to work honked his horn and I naturally looked up. He made a gesture of sucking dick at me and smiled. I felt powerless because he was in a car and got the attention he wanted, and I ended up sobbing to my mother on the phone afterwards because of my helplessness. What makes matters worse is that so many women will respond by saying, “Don’t let it bother you, that just lets them win”, but they already won because men know they can do that to a woman on the street with no consequences. He didn’t see my reaction, and it didn’t matter if he did, he already got the power he wanted. Even if I had not been upset by it, he still has the power. They profit off my beauty, regardless of what I wear. I’d have to be invisible for them not to have that power.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

There should be a universal coloring agent that identifies people who harass or catcall on the streets, like when someone pulls a fire alarm and the non-washable fluid comes out to identify who pulled it. It could be part of a typical young American’s kit: with their pepper spray and rape whistle.

– AKS

Location: Washington DC capitol hill neighborhood

I’m a 16 year old girl, and I’ve been harassed daily since I was about 14. I must have been harassed more than a few hundred times in my life at least. Generally the harassment I face can be categorised in a few categories:

-Non verbal: They usually just stare at me sensually, and do kissy motions with their mouths, whistle, or lick their lips. Winking is also real common. When I go in some neighbourhoods, basically, and this is not an exaggeration, all the men look at me sultrily, and/or catcall me.

-Verbal badmouthing/Insults: Either they talk shit ‘indirectly” like, “Oh ya, I’d pin that bitch on the wall, and f*ck her hard”, or talk with their friends about all the dirty things they’d do to me. Other times, it’s lone wolves, or groups of guys who scream stuff like “Sucky sucky bitch” or “Hey come over here you f*cking slut, and let me eat your pussy”.

-Verbal non explicit ‘insults’: Like “You’re so pretty, you shouldn’t be so sad. Smile for me”, “Damn, liking the view. Nice ass. Wanna see it up close”, “Hey there…”, “What’s up..”.

-Asking for sexual favours: I don’t get a lot of allowance, so I ask people on the street for money (not pandhandling). If I ask a guy, it’s not at all uncommon for him to ask me to give him a blowjob, f*ck him or kiss him for money. Sometimes, I just innocently ask for directions, and they ask me for a kiss. I’ve had a stranger before, force me to kiss him on the mouth, and let him feel what he wanted under threat of violence, in public.

-Stalking: I’ve had guys who asked me out, or tried going predator on me, follow me for hours after I refused. But mostly it’s just for a few minutes to get a good view.

-Asking me out, and forcing me to go somewhere isolated with them right after: Basically half of the time when I talk to a male stranger, they ask me out, or after I refuse, to just be friends. They all immediately invent bizarre excuses to get me somewhere of intimacy or give me alcohol. I’ve been nearly forced in a car before, and in other bad places. Got molested quite a lot. Nearly raped a few times too. The creepiest thing is, I’ve always told them, than I’m either 14 or 15. And they won’t even back down. Even if I’m not legal. They don’t care.

-Being patronised by a lot of men. A decent amount of men, I don’t know or not well, refer to me as “sweety, “honey”, “sexy”, “babe”. What the f*ck. I’m sick of this. Even though it’s been more than two years, It still affects me. I hate being harassed. Don’t care if he’s hot.

– Anonymous

Location: Paris, France

When I was living in Japan from 2002-2004, men grabbed my butt as I was walking about in public, or standing at a festival with my junior high students, or standing on the sidewalk asking someone for directions. These “men” would grab my butt and walk away without saying a word. It was completely degrading and gross. It made me feel like a piece of meat – what on Earth would make them think they had a right to touch me!?!?!?!

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Keep talking about these instances, and helping people feel empowered to stand up and stop these people – scream, take a picture of them, stop them physically and call the police – whatever it takes – make a scene – embarrass the harassers!!

– Keryn S

Location: Throughout Japan

I was driving in north London yesterday afternoon by myself. It was a bit stuffy in my car so I opened my window. It was a two lane road and very shortly after, two men drove by in a white van and started cat calling me. They asked me lots of questions to which I didn’t reply but it made me feel very nervous. I did my best to drive carefully and as the lane merged into one, I thought I had been successful in getting away from them. However, shortly after the lanes became two again and somehow they were right beside me again. Although all my windows were now up, they made me feel terribly anxious as they were shouting out and me and laughing. It was such an uncomfortable experience for me that it has given me anxiety.

– Anonymous

Location: Hanger Lane Road, north London, UK

I was being stared and smiled at creepily by a staff from McDonald’s. This incident happened when I go to McDonald’s and this harasser was outside of the store, not greeting me when I arrived but he stared at me in an intimidating way and smiled creepily. While I was in the restaurant he would walked around and continued to stared and smiled at me in a very creepy way. I don’t think that’s the kind of friendly warm smile I should be receiving. I felt very very intimidated by this staff. I already raise my concern to the management however it seems like it was not taken seriously and I never heard from the McDonald’s management ever again. Just that if you are curious which McDonald’s I went to. I went to the McDonald’s in Malaysia, Penang.

– Jolyn

Location: Bayan baru, Penang, Malaysia