Hi everyone,

Gemma here. I wanted to tell you about something that happened to me a few weeks ago.

I was walking with my best friend to my athletics training. We were having a catch up, going through our days and talking about what we wanted to do in the approaching half-term holidays.

Then, two men leaned out of a mini-bus and shouted abuse at us.

I had also been harassed on the same road the day before, but this time was different. They were in a sixth-form college bus and had come from the football pitch having dropped off students.

It was absolutely nauseating. I was 14 (Friday was my birthday so I’m now 15!) and my friend is 16.

They had come speeding down the road, leaned out and shouted objectifying phrases at us. They laughed and drove off. It was a joke for them, just a little bit of fun. 

This happened on the road I use to walk to school every day. The fact that these harassers worked for a school, that they were people meant to take care of kids like us, made it so much worse.

Once we saw that they were worked at a school, we knew what we had to do. We called the school and reported them. The response was “we’re really sorry and we know exactly who they are”. I assume that this means that they had done things like this before. On Monday, I will call them again and ask exactly what measures have been taken against these harassers. 

I’ve shared this story with you because I really want to stress the importance of reporting this behaviour. If the person who harasses you is from a business, building site or school, REPORT THEM! 

This behaviour is not acceptable, and actions must be taken against any employees who are harassing individuals. We shouldn’t have to put up with this behaviour.

I’ve decided that, for my safety, I’m going to stop wear shorts when walking home from athletics. I know that if I do, I will almost certainly be sexually objectified by men on the street. This is wrong, and we’re on a mission to change it.

If you want to help us, follow us on Instagram (@OurStreetsNow) and Twitter (@NowStreets), send us your personal stories of harassment (and if you reported them!) and let us know if you have any skills that might help move the campaign forward!

Gemma