In my first year of uni I was out with friends and was turning to leave a bar when a much older man reached his hand under my skirt and grabbed pretty much everything. I had gone to karate classes for eight years but in the moment just turned and looked at him in disbelief. He and his friend just leered at me. I was too afraid that I would get kicked out of medical school if I hit him, and as I was on a night out I did not believe the police who were always stationed in a nearby traffic calming street would care. I had become so used to getting grabbed in various places by people my own age in secondary school and a wider variety of men at uni on nights out that I thought it was just normal. Education for all children is the best way forward I think, people need to learn what the parameters of appropriate touch are from a young age.

The security guard at my local supermarket constantly stops me to engage in conversation and has asked me out so many times (each time I politely decline) that it puts me off going there. My heart sinks every time I see him on his shift. It’s a clear abuse of power and I wonder how many other women he does it to … one rejection should be enough to get the message.

This is a couple of years ago now. I was waiting for a friend outside a dockside cafe, I had a glass of wine and was just sat on a bench looking at the boats.
It was early evening. There were a bunch of men hanging around. One of them plonked himself down on the bench next to me, grinned, then just scampered away.
I smiled at him politely,didnt give it a moments thought.
Then my friend arrived, and she pointed the same group of men out,so they were actually a stag party, going in and out of pubs round the docks.
The one who had sat down by me was wearing a strap on, and the others were taking photos of him accosting as many women as possible.
I expect some found it hilarious and posed for selfies with him
I am a 5ft 1″ disabled 60 year old women.
I wasnt even aware of what they were doing – I didnt even notice (I dont go around looking at people’s crotches!) but there used to be a name for this,’outraging public decency’.

I am a lawyer married to a surgeon. My husband has cheated on me twice, has consistently lookEd at other women, has lied to me continually to cover up his infidelity and has been violent to me on three occasions. This morning and night before last and ironically just now in the middle of typing this, so the 3rd occasion in 2 days, my husband has told me to “calm down“ he has also said that to me previously on top of other belittling and disrespectful comments including, “you are a millstone around my neck”, F off frequently and saying “you are a shite”. I know that men in the modern world still tell women to “calm down” and think that that is okay, it is appalling and gaslighting behaviour. Everyday sexism exists on a really dangerously ingrained level to the extent of an embedded misogyny ignored and accepted by society.