The Everyday Sexism Project exists to catalogue instances of sexism experienced on a day to day basis. They might be serious or minor, outrageously offensive or so niggling and normalised that you don’t even feel able to protest. Say as much or as little as you like, use your real name or a pseudonym – it’s up to you. By sharing your story you’re showing the world that sexism does exist, it is faced by women everyday and it is a valid problem to discuss.

If you prefer to e-mail me at laura@everydaysexism.com I can upload your story for you instead. Follow us on Twitter (and submit entries by tweet) at @EverydaySexism.

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Anon

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When I was 20 my driving instructor asked me to stop the car ready for a 3 point turn,suddenly he was across my lap and his tongue was down my throat…I froze,I couldn’t react,then he carried on with the lesson as though nothing had happened.. He enjoyed talking about his sex life with his wife also he would press my knee that controlled the clutch, saying clutch,clutch.. I wanted to dismiss him as an instructor but my test was very close,I never told a soul about his abuse..I was terrified..

anonymous

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i had this ex boyfriend who would always ask to hang out. it was never day time and he would ask me to sneak out of my house to see him. i was scared but ended up doing it. i looked at him in the eyes and told him i did not want to lose my virginity because i was 15 and i didn’t completely understand the whole sex thing. he said he understood but i’m not sure if he did because he did it anyways. once i realized that that is what he did i kinda tried to stay away from him. but turns out i was a teenage girl seeking male validation so i stayed with him. He did multiple things along those lines and ended up cheating on me with his ex gf(she cheated on him multiple times and he would use her as an excuse for the way he acted.) so hooray.

anonymous

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Being told as a little girl that old men were staring at my butt because my dress was too revealing. I was 11 and I was in church. These men were old and claimed to love jesus, apparently they just love children.

Kirsty

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I was at a networking event last night. I introduced myself to 2 men and a woman. After saying my name and that I was new to the city and it was my first networking event, one of the men said to me; ‘New people have to get up on stage and do a striptease’… It was a professional networking event, at a coworking, where speakers were talking about their careers. I was baffled and just looked at the woman next to me who was also totally perplexed. He didn’t apologise, in fact, he alluded to the comment twice further after the host of the event organised an ice breaker networking game asking for people to join him. The host was of course unaware of this bizzare comment. The man then contacted me on LinkedIn the next day, didn’t mention anything about it, so I pulled him up on it. He did a casual one line apology ‘I am sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I was being an idiot. I then decided to explain the situation and how it had made me feel. ‘I’m incredibly surprised that at no point and on your initial message today, or after saying it last night you didn’t apologise. In fact you actually alluded to the comment a couple more times when I went to participate on stage and after I got off the stage. I’m not sure if you realise how utterly uncomfortable it made me feel, including during the stage segment – when I knew someone in the audience had said new people have to striptease. It made me think twice about participating and obviously getting on stage to learn from the workshop. It also made the other woman standing with me clearly uncomfortable. I don’t know you so I don’t know if this something you have said regularly, or if you would say it to other women at other events. While I appreciate your apology after me bringing it up to you, I think it’s also part of a wider discussion about how women should be treated and spoken to at these kinds of events. To have this comment made to me by an absolute stranger is perplexing, degrading and utterly unprofessional.’ He did apologise again and get this – HE HAS A DAUGHTER – who is 18… ‘Once again I am sorry and it was one of those comments that as soon as I had said I knew it was inappropriate and you are correct I should have apologised straight away and I didn’t. I am not the sort of person that degrades women. I have a daughter who I encourage to stand up to comments like that. So please understand it was a stupid comment and I am sorry I made you feel’. I’m glad they have apologised: -But it’s only after I’ve pulled them up on it -And it should never have happened.

Molly

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I am quite young I guess for the people on this and others have had it worse but I’m still gonna tell my story. So a couple of months ago, I was on my way to a dance class and a white van was facing the direction I was walking in, btw it was dark, but it wasn’t late, only like 5 ish, and this van had the headlights on so I couldn’t see into the van but they could definitely see me. I have already had experiences of catcalling so I was already feeling nervous. I hear this whirring sound and my doubt says they are rolling down the window, although it does’t sound like it very much. Turns out I was right and one of the men leaned out, leering at me. Now I have learned the number plate by heart, no exactly what days it is parked in the same spot, and have to walk past it several times a week. So thats it I guess, also at the time, I was 13 years old and wearing sweatpants and a puffy coat pulled all the way to the top.

AC

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There have been countless times where I have been cat called, honked at, whistled at all while simply minding my business. The very first time I can remember this occurring was when I was in middle school. I was wearing a casual outfit, jeans and a plain top. I was walking to go to my friends house and a man rolled his window down and whistled at me. Whenever this occurred I always felt so disgusting and felt the need to cover up even though this wasn’t my fault. Now that I think about it, it makes me feel even more disgusting knowing I was just thirteen and I looked my age as well. I was just a girl yet this man felt it was appropriate to do that. The same thing occurred while being ina group of my other friends, no matter if women are by themselves or in a group, men will still feel the need to catcall women.

Sofia

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All my life I have been subject to male criticisms of my work and how I structure my answers. In essays, this does not bother me. However, in classes focusing on Women’s rights and Women in general, there was a particular ‘team’ of boys who would not only mansplain everything, but snigger and laugh every time I, or indeed another woman in my class, explained something at university. During secondary school, I was harassed in public, at the canteen of my school, by a boy who had a ‘crush’ on me, who even strangled me off of a bench, along with other things. It was witnessed by all of my friends, but they were simply under the influence of everyday sexism. As I was told ‘he was just flirting’. To a point where I was scared to say no when he asked me out. Which led to a toxic and abusive relationship. I was 14. I am now at university and still seeing everyday sexism everywhere.

anonymous

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when I was fourteen I was on my way to an out of school club. I took the train by myself, something I always found scary. as I was waiting to get off at my stop, a man took pictures up my skirt. I had no where to move and I felt terrified. several people saw this happen and did nothing. I couldn’t even bring myself to move away. I ran off the train as fast as I could and noticed the man following behind me. I eventually hid in a fast food store and hoped he kept walking. many years later, and I still feel terrified on trains.

Tamsin

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When I was walking to the supermarket a man walked past me masturbating with his hand in his trousers. I dismissed it, under the impression that nothing had actually “happened” to me. Later that day I was surprised that I felt genuinely upset by the incident, thinking I shouldn’t get emotional about an event in which I’ve not been touched or seen anything indecent.

Charriess

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In second grade, I was arguing with a boy in my class, and midway through it he stated that “you’re a woman, so you should listen to me and do what I say”. I still remember it to this day, and wonder what was wrong with the way his parents were teaching him.