It was midday of a summer day. I was standing with tens of other university students. We were all crowding around the board which held our final exam results. It was supposed to be a happy day for me, I got straight A’s and topped my class. Instead someone groped me seconds after I saw my results.

Happiness was replaced with confusion then fear, shame and guilt. I just pushed my way out of the crowd. I didn’t scream or even look back to see the guy’s face. I remember he laughed when I pushed him away and I am sure he went on to grope other girls in the same crowd.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general

Raise awareness. Make more people understand that harassment is not a compliment, how scary it can feel and that they should stop blaming the victims or saying things like, “She shouldn’t dress like that” , “She shouldn’t go there alone”.. etc. Because even if harassers don’t stop, at least the victims would not be too afraid to speak up and get support, specially young teenage victims.

– Anonymous

Location: University of Khartoum central campus, Khartoum, Sudan

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

This has happened twice this week. Mere yards from my home, while I was walking down the sidewalk, people in their cars (all of them men) have wolf-whistled or catcalled at me, yelling rude things. In some cases, I wasn’t even 50 feet from the edge of my property. I feel unsafe in my own neighborhood every time it happens; like I can’t leave my apartment to go walk to the store without being bothered. It’s violating, it’s rude, and it leaves me angry and on the verge of tears. I deserve far more respect than this.

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

I’m not sure at this point, other than finding a way to make these scumbags picture that their mother/father/priest/etc. is there watching them do it.

–  SS

Location: Westminster, CO, USA

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more ideas.

This did not happen to me, but to my girlfriend. I heard stories from her that she gets whistled at while walking alone along streets. These whistles come from men in cars as well as pedestrian passersby. Sometimes, hawker stalls owners compliments her and ask her for her name. It happens too in cinemas and public places.

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

I hope that the awareness is raised in Malaysia about the rudeness of catcalling to a complete stranger. I believe that currently there is no act or law in place to curb this. I do want to help in preventing this happening to anyone, be it male or female. Thank you for your kind help. 🙂

– JH

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more ideas.

Just yesterday, at a Family Dollar, I was harassed by a middle aged man. I was wearing a bandage skirt and he said, “I feel like I just want to grab that thing. You need to cover it up because I’m attracted to shit like that.”

I told him he needs to control his comments. He told me my man was an idiot for letting me dress like that. I felt very terrified, because he just threatened to rape me, technically.

– Betty Miller

Location: Broad and Girard Ave. in Philadelphia, PA

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more ideas.