MJP

I have a similar experience to Anon (11 September). When I was in 6th grade I was the only girl who wore a bra (‘early bloomer’, my Mother called it), and the boys used to make comments all the time in the playground about my ‘bazookas’. One lunch time, a group of them tried to grab my breasts and when I ran away to find a teach they all chased me shouting “Grab her tits!”. They caught me and while a couple of them held me, another one reached up my jumper and undid my bra. A (female) teacher standing nearby saw that something was happening so came over and told the boys to go away. I was in tears, so she told me to go to the toilets to fix myself up and stop making such a fuss. She actually said that it wasn’t as if they had hurt me. When I told my parents, my Mum said it was what boys did and I should just make sure I stayed close to a teacher during breaks, and my Dad said that boys of that age (10,11) are always rough-housing and they didn’t mean anything by it.

Tiarna

Recently, I was at school when i stubbed my toe, and (understandably) swore in pain. The boy next to me then stated “Ew, it’s gross when chicks swear” I then proceeded to give no fucks and swear right back at him, as well as eliciting various hand gestures just to truly get the point across.

Hayley

Old customer ringing to speak to the technical sales rep. Rep not here, I solve customer’s easy enquiry. Customer says “You’ve really impressed me for a woman, thank you. No really, I am very surprised”

Hayley

I’ve had to start writing a log at work, my manager is disgusting. Today I walked in with a scarf on my head, a la Carmen Miranda. Before saying “Good morning”, he looked at me, shook his head and said “You need to pick a different religion, that scarf is ridiculous”. a) I’m not religious and this is not religious apparel. b) Even if it was, what right do you have to comment on my religion negatively, bigot? c) The day I take fashion advice from a man well into his 60s whose wife dresses him in unnecessary hi-vis is the day I give my life savings to support men’s rights activists.

Hayley

I was an industrial sales rep. My customers were all men whose tooth to tattoo ratio was shameful. My customers constantly made inappropriate remarks, would try to go in for a hug or a kiss on greeting (NO YOU DON’T EVER TOUCH ME), they would hoot and whistle when I’d walk into the workshop or the machinery yard to work. I wore steel caps and a hi-vis vest, as is law. I was making $70k/month in profit for my boss. He pulled me aside one day and told me to wear makeup. So I started wearing makeup and the behaviour from the customers escalated. I told him it made me feel anxious and intimidated having to wear makeup and bear the escalation of the behaviour. He told me I would make more money if I wore skirts and heels. Into big huge mechanical workshops and gravel machinery yards. SURE I’ll take away my only means of escape from attack so you can buy a second helicopter! When I refused, he sacked me 11 and a half months into my 12 month probation because I was “costing him too much money”… I made him $70k in PROFIT, not sales, the sales was $110k. I wasn’t even being paid $1k a week salary. My male counterparts make $1500+ a week salary.

Hayley

I went to see a psychologist 3 days after I was raped by my boyfriend in my own home. He said to me that I wouldn’t have been raped if I didn’t let my boyfriend into my house. He also shamed me for not reporting it to the police. I didn’t know his last name (he was a very new boyfriend) and I had no idea where he lived. Our judicial system doesn’t charge rapists, especially for spousal rape. I was so distraught afterwards that I sought psychological support and it traumatized me more.

Hayley

I was morbidly obese and in constant abdominal pain. I was seeing a GP on average twice a week, trying to get help for about 3 months. All doctors would tell me to lose weight. I had scans on my gall bladder and it was fine so I went to hospital. The hospital drugged me up to the point of insensibility and removed my healthy gall bladder. I’m still in pain 4 years later and lost over 40kg without trying. I’ve been trying STILL for the last 4 years to get a Dr to listen to me, but because I’m in a “normal weight range” now, they won’t take me seriously and send me to a specialist. 4 years of needless pain, 4 years of inconsistent work and financial ruin as a result of medical negligence with no legal recourse. I can’t afford to pay for my medical record. Or specialists. I saw a GP last week to get a referral to a psychiatrist, to assist with my meds. The GP asked about my physical health which I told him was poor. I have PCOS and told him, I showed him my BEARD and told him I was infertile. He asked me who diagnosed and I told him the professor of gynaecology at my local hospital. He told me I needed to have another pelvic ultrasound and another blood test to confirm, despite ALL MY SYMPTOMS of PCOS, despite my most recent scan showing active PCOS 3 months ago. He told me I needed medication. I told him I tried the medication years ago and it made me very sick for many months. He pressed the medication issue and gave me referrals for ultrasound, blood test and a prescription for medications I concisely told him would make me gravely ill. I’ve had a pelvic ultrasound about 12 times in my life, and for a sexual assault survivor, being probed vaginally by a stranger is a HUGE anxiety trigger for me, and completely unnecessary to put me through it if I’m already diagnosed. My psychiatrist, in the same week, told me that there’s no difference between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder and refused to accept that I had no need for birth control on my medications as I’m infertile. He told me I wasn’t, despite my not falling pregnant in over a decade of trying to fall pregnant, despite my medical history of several diseases that render me infertile and despite my telling him in no uncertain terms that I’ve tried ALL pills, all methods and all of them were insufferable and unnecessary. After exhausting myself arguing and justifying my well-informed and well-researched choices for half an hour, I started to cry. And immediately lost all credibility. I used to work in the medical field. I hate being a woman so much.

Hayley

“Oh there’s a woman on the ad so you know it is easy to use and not too technical, mechanical or involved.” – Said to me at work by my manager.

K TO THE IZZLE

My friend is a gay woman. She doesn’t present as femme. She was taking driving lessons from a local, reputable man who had VERY high ratings on his page. All from young men. All the photos on his facebook business page are with him standing next to beaming young men. NONE of the good reviews came from women, and there were no bad reviews. She’s in the car with this man in his 60s. She is in her early 20s. He starts off by telling her he loves “big women, they’re so sexy” (my friend is not small). My friend is uncomfortable with this, but she has already paid for her lesson and doesn’t say anything. Man: Do you have a boyfriend? Friend: No, I’m gay M: Well, you just haven’t met the right man yet.. You should give a man a go. I’m willing F: No I’m gay, I don’t want that. He kept going, trying to change her mind, trying to touch her, touching her leg, her arm. He was talking about his wife and his grandchildren, while he was trying to grope my beautiful, disinterested and now traumatized friend. He was calling her pet names and being overwhelmingly predatory. What a piece of shit. His job is to teach teens to drive. He shouldn’t be in the car with young women.

Emma

I’m 17 and I was walking home from school one day when some guys in a car whistled and yelled out at me. I just ignored it but now I wish that I had said something – this kind of behaviour is not acceptable.