I’m an 18-year-old woman. I’m studying teaching in hopes to be an art teacher in the next few years.
I go to uni three times a week, and regularly visit my boyfriend in the city. Because of this, I spend lots of my time commuting from one place to another and am more often than not among the general public.
I was 15 when I had my first encounter with sexual harassment.
Before attending university, I worked as a ‘checkout chick’ at a supermarket for a few years and as a result, often interacted with people I had never met. Pretty standard, right?
A few weeks into my new exciting job, two men came through my register, aged between 50 and 55. Once I began scanning their items, one of the men said to me, “Typical of my friend to choose the sexiest checkout chick to go to.”
He said it as though he thought it would flatter me. I was 15.
Ever wondered what it’d be like for a man to live a day as a woman? Check out many of the things we go through, including sexual harassment, below. Post continues after video.
A few weeks later, I was assisting an elderly man with his groceries before we closed for the night. This meant I had to manually open the automatic doors at work to get in and out. While helping him out of the shop, he looked back at me and said, “Wow, I wish I could take you home with me, I’d make you one happy girl.”
Top Comments
It really upset me we live in a world where I have to explain to my daughter why when her and I walk alone together in the city, I carry my keys between my fingers because we have to be vigilant.
Or what when a boy at school tries to force her to kiss him, that this is abuse! It’s not something that can be brushed off.
Or debunk that bullshit “it’s because he likes you that he hurt/teases you!”. No, it’s because your son is an entitled little asshole who you have failed by not teaching him to keep his hands to himself!
We need to stop this shit when kids are little so they don’t turn into predators who think they’re entitled to touch people, degrade people and attack when they don’t get their way. Boys are taught from a young age “boys will be boys” to make excuses for their shitty behaviour and it’s not fair on their victims, but also them. Kids are taught this attitude, they’re not born with it.
Spot on! I have two little boys. They love getting in my personal space touching me and being adorable pests. I very strongly tell them no I dont like that. When your brother says no you stop straight away. If the other person doesnt like it you stop. We dont touch privates. We dont do things other people dont like. I tell them to tell the very affectionate boy at school I dont like it when you hug me maybe we can high 5 or just to stop all together if they dont like it.
I figure if I drum consent into them before they even realise its a thing they'll grow up to be proper gentlemen. At least I hope so!!!