Being 5

The first time I experienced sexual harassment in public spaces, I was five years old, walking to school with a male friend my age. Older boys surrounded me, pinching my cheeks and trying to lure me to one of their houses. My friend ran away and I stood crying, scared. The dad of another friend saw what was happening and he thankfully intervened and helped me get to school safely. This experience taught me that public spaces are not always safe for me, a message that was reinforced hundreds of times by men who harassed me and even chased or touched me without consent when I was a teenager and a young woman in my 20s and 30s.

Action Shero Holly

Being 13

Mine was when I had wore a pair of jeans and full armed T shirt with a wide neck. Not only did I hear the boys on the road whistle and make those cheesy kissing noises (that most of the times is also used to call out to the dogs), even the Police men on the road were clearly leching. I was just about 12-13 years old. Though I did not understand why I was feeling humiliated, I felt humiliated and guilty even at that age. This took place in Kodagu district, Madikeri town. my hometown.

The second time was when a man passing by me, passed a lewd comment such as ""lovely knocks"" or some crap like that. My friend's sister who was walking along with me, instead of being irritated with the man who said it, in turn advised me 'not to wear' the sleeve-less T I was wearing, ever again!! I was around 18years old. This Happened in Malleshwaram area in Banagalore.

Action Shero Anonymous

Place: Karnataka

Being 12

Since my parents were quite protective of me in my childhood it was quite a while before I was confronted with this looming issue. The earliest memory of street harassment would be when I would walk alone to the market nearby and could literally feel the gaze of several jobless men on the road. There was singing songs, sleazy dialogues from Hindi movies and the whispered or loud remarks as I walked by. It failed to bother me after a point.

It was maybe because I never risked wandering into an empty lane alone as a child or I lived on a busy street that my earliest memory of street harassment is nothing that scarred me forever. However the feeling is something that makes me uncomfortable and causes me to hasten my pace as I'm walking on the road, avoiding eye contact or any sort of communication with the person who causes this discomfort.

Action Shero Pallavi Dutta

Place: Kolkata

Being 14

My first memory of street harassment was sometime in school when I was walking back from school and this random guy came and touched my boobs and by the time I realised what happened and went ahead to say something he had already got onto a bus from the signal.

Action Shero Anonymous

Place: Mumbai

Being 11

The Birthday Party, that I never attended.

When I was 11, I was supposed to go for a birthday party at Mc.Donalds. But some misunderstanding happened and my dad dropped me at a wrong branch of Mc.Donalds. I went inside and discovered that there was no party here and begin to worry. Even though this branch was very close to my house I was alone and scared. So I called up my dad from the telephone booth across the road and asked him to pick me up. I have to describe what I was wearing, I wore a short skirt, and a boat neck top with a butterfly sticker tattoo near my neck. All in pink. YES, that!  And I got a few stares and whistles while I was waiting for my dad to come. I was so uncomfortable, nervous and almost in tears. My dad came soon and picked me up safely. As soon I sat in the car, I burst into tears at the awkwardness of the incident.

Action Shero ANONYMOUS

Place: New Delhi

Being 15

This was in 1996. I was walking down Wood Street in Kolkata with a friend. We were heading towards my house which was just about 4 mins by walk. The time was about 7:30PM. We were busy talking while we walked. Suddenly I looked towards my right and my friend was not there. Then I looked around and walked back to find her. I saw a man with his back towards me. I walked upfront and realized that he was forcefully trying to kiss her and she was struggling. Instantly I pulled her towards we with all my strength. The stranger pulled out a knife from his pocket and said "chilayegi to chod dunga". I was too shocked to believe what was going on. At that moment I could not think of doing anything else but run for our lives. I grabbed my friends hand and we started to run as fast as possible. We were both trembling with fear. We reached my house and informed both our parents immediately. My friend kept crying and brushing her teeth. Her parents came to pick her up. She did not come to school for a week. I can imagine the trauma she went through. My hands and legs were trembling for a long time and I could not sleep properly. The face of that molester kept coming in my head. He was a short stout, bald middle aged man with blood-shot red eyes. I can still remember his face after so many years. If I would ever see him again I would want him behind bars.

Action Shero Anonymous

Place: Kolkata

Being 19

 It was just random guy's comment I overheard on the street about what he thinks of this girl's breast whom he was just staring at.

Action Shero Anonymous

Place: Kyoto, Japan

Being 17

My cousin and I were 17, and over summer in Mysore, learning to play the guitar. We used to walk to the teacher's home and back, around 4 in the afternoon. One day while enroute, a lot of guys started following us, calling rude remarks, whistling, making obscene sounds. We ignored them and went ahead to the teacher's home. An hour later, when we emerged to head home, we were shocked - the place was surrounded by over 15 college age boys, just lying in wait for us to come out. The situation was so bad, we had to wait inside for almost 2 hours, then call my uncle to escort us home.

Action Shero Priya

Place: Mysore, India

Being 12

I was twelve years old when the threat of sexual violence became a concrete reality in my pre adolescent life. As I was walking home from school one day in Athens, GA, a well dressed, middle aged, white man walked alongside me for several blocks attempting to lure me into his car with promises to drive me where I was going because "a little girl so beautiful should never walk alone." It was only when the man leaned close to my face and stuck his tongue into my ear--a disappointing penetration substitute, no doubt--that I finally found the courage to run. I never told anyone what had happened, but the way this incident changed me was fundamental: I no longer had the luxury of feeling like I was safe when an unknown man waylaid me on the street.

Action Shero Mandy Van Deven
Place : Athens . GA. United States of America

Being 21

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My friend and I went out at 8 pm to a street next to her house to get some groceries. While returning, we were just about to turn at a corner. I was pointing my friend to a nearby apartment and talking to her. Just then, a guy on a bike came driving in the opposite direction and grabbed at my chest. He had to actually leave the bike handle to grab me. What pleasure the pervert received from this split second contact is one thing I still fail to understand. I was stunned to silence and inaction at that time. After a few seconds, I shouted at him but he has already left by then. And just so we are clear, this 'guy' is old enough to have been a father of a girl my age.The bastard.

Thinking back, I should have run after him to the traffic signal which was really close by and made a scene. But I was too shocked that someone would do that to a woman.

Action Shero Anonymous
Place : Hyderabad

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Being 13 :

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This memory sticks out in my mind so much that I can't think of what came before that: I was 13 or 14 and at water kingdom wave pool in Mumbai when 4 men surrounded me and took turns pinching me - mostly my breasts. I was first shocked - then my reaction turned into panic as I realised I was in the deep end surrounded by sniggering men until a friend saw panic in my eyes and came to help me out.

We told my mom and complained to the security but nothing got done.

Action Shero Shivangini
Place : Mumbai

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