To think almost every woman in the world has suffered some form of sexual harassment by age 30?

Also you’re caught either way if you’re deemed attractive to them you get grim sexual stuff if you are deemed not attractive you get cruel mocking semi sexual abuse. Maybe the small minority of women in the middle who are not noticed slip under the radar get away from it?

If any woman grew up in the 80's/90's I would be surprised if they made it to 20 without some form of sexual harassment. I was hoping it had got better for the younger generations.

I think your title is right and I agree, almost every woman. But you’ve said in your OP that you don’t believe her which really isn’t ok.

Now maybe something happened and she hasn’t noticed or been bothered but maybe it never has.

I know a woman who says the same and whilst it’s surprising I don’t think she’s lying.

It blows my mind that it might be the case for someone, certainly. Unwanted touching has been a pretty universal feature on my life since early secondary school. I suppose I'd say I'm a pretty standard girl next door tomboy type who doesn't wear make up, anything remotely provocative or ever look put together. Not to say those things would necessarily make it more likely, but it's certainly not just pretty, slim, 'conventionally attractive to the male gaze' people they target like she's suggesting. Does she give off a 'fuck with me and I'll mess you' vibe or something? I'd love to know her secret!

I have been fortunate enough not to experience anything very traumatic, but yes, plenty of lower level stuff and 2 incidents that I would class as sexual assault - one in my teens and one in my twenties.

Sadly, I know that my young adult dd has also had some uncomfortable experiences, though again, thankfully nothing too traumatic.

I would love to think that there are women who never experience this, but I think they must be quite unusual.

Growing up in London in 70s, started around 11 years old...vile. I remember the dustmen shouting down the road at me 'show us your knickers! get 'em off!' I was 13. I told my mum and she laughed (she was always an idiot, though) so I knew I was on my own with it all. Horrible, horrible. I remember men groping in the cinema, a man exposing himself to me when I was on my way to school.. and later, when I was 18 and a barmaid, men thinking it perfectly ok to discuss my appearance and figure TO MY FACE in a way that suggested that I was less than human. Then I remember my daughter, then 14, and I walking along the road together and men catcalling us both. It was vile.

Loads more incidents. And no, I didn't like being whistled at and hustled everywhere I went. I wasn't particularly attractive. Men in 60s and 70s (and I'm sure throughout history) were vile. the only reason some have kind of stopped doing it is because they know it's an arrestable offence now. Many men think that women only exist for them. They don't really see us as people.

Oh gosh yes a few times. My ex FIL groped me at a party at his house and tried to kiss me. Similar groping incident on holiday by a man from entertainments team at a hotel. Another time, out with friends and I was standing at a bar and a man we’d been chatting to earlier with friends suddenly pulled my hair at the back, pulling my head back. I was literally trapped - I could hear him breathing. Very scary but after a few seconds he let go.

And of course, on every one of these occasions, as a young woman, I stayed silent. Hideous.

My first job was in a newsroom sitting next to a lecherous elderly reporter. But frequently groped, sexual comments, being exposed to since mid teens I guess. This was the 80s.

I don't know that I'd call wolf whistling and catcalling sexual harassment (seems to be a diminishment of the term), but yes, I have also had the odd weird and random grope, comment, and so on.

i struggle to believe this too. Too many incidents to list. Now my teen girls are getting the same treatment. Then men whine and ask why women are scared of them!

And no it’s not “wolf whistles and being respectfully chatted up”. It’s obscene graphic comments too disgusting to even type, being flashed at and even wanked at.

That said I realised last week that one of my many grim experiences was quite possibly a serial killer so I’m grateful to be alive frankly.

I’d find it hard to believe a woman hasn’t had at least one incident.

I think I’ve led quite a sheltered life (60 years), and yet even I’ve had wolf whistles, teacher touching us up, bosses trying it on, a ‘friend’ climbing into bed with me after a night out, my friend’s one night stand climbing into my bed….

Mine was after 30 but a man from work told me he fantasized about me doing porn with other men because he thought I was gorgeous.

I never spoke to this freak before, I'm married and had been happily married for over 20 years, which he knew.

I was over 35 years of age at the time.

Told other men at work when it happened, some laughed it off, some said they thought he was gay (my boss) and the women were appalled and asked me if I was okay.

I was okay. I told him at the time that he needed to back off the alcohol and step away and then, afterward, when he tried to apologise at work, I told him to never talk to me again.

He cried in the office during this conversation. I was his superior. It was all weird.

Edited to add: he didn't say this in front of everyone, he literally whispered it in my ear in front of everyone, thinking they were all distracted, I guess

He is gross.

Wolf whistles and being respectfully chatted up was part of growing up in London in the 60s and no, I didn't see it as sexual harassment. Male attention does seem to be more intimidating these days and I feel sorry that women no longer enjoy the freedom we had.