#ShareYourStory Of Sexual Harassment: Let’s Get Men Involved!

Posted: November 26, 2015

Would fewer men harass women sexually, if the subject were openly discussed in families? #ShareYourStory and break the silence at home!

Sexual harassment is such an everyday occurrence for the Indian woman that somewhere, we have learnt to accept it as a ‘normal’ part of lives. And what is accepted by society only grows!

Research shows that 90% of women in India have been harassed at least once in their lives. But it’s time to change it. Every girl and woman has the right to the streets and the skies, just like any man.

How do we make men a part of ending sexual harassment against women? To end Sexual Harassment, the conversation needs to begin at home.

That’s why Women’s Web is proud to be a partner of the new Breakthrough campaign #ShareYourStory. Read on to know more!

How can I participate in #ShareYourStory?

As part of this campaign, we invite women to write an open letter to their sons, talking about their experience of sexual harassment they have been through. (If you don’t have a son, imagine what you would say, or assume you are writing to a young friend, cousin or nephew).

You can also share a video too, where you talk about your experience, addressed to your son (or another young man).

The aim is to begin conversations at home and get young men to empathize with women, rather than view them as objects to harass.

How is this going to help?

To stop sexual harassment at every place, whether the street, home or office, we need to sensitize young men, on what a woman goes through facing it in her day to day life. Men need to stop believing too that there is ever anything cute or romantic about harassing a woman.

Hearing the truth from a woman in your own family can make more young men understand that sexual harassment is not fun and not ‘teasing’ but a scary, humiliating experience for women. Further, these young men can become champions in their own networks, teaching their friends why sexual harassment is neither ‘brave’ nor ‘fun’.

How to participate

Email us your blogpost or video at community@womensweb.in with the subject line #ShareYourStory; include your full name, or the name you would like us to use if we share your video. (If you are a Women’s Web contributor, you can simply upload your post on the dashboard with #ShareYourStory in the topic)
You can also share the video on your YouTube account, Facebook, Twitter or other social media networks; don’t forget to use the #ShareYourStory hashtag

I am going to make a video. How do I get started?

You can use a simple mobile phone or tablet to shoot your video, or use a video camera.
You could make a video along with your son, or just by yourself.
Keep it crisp, and under 2 minutes.
Talk about sexual harassment that you’ve experienced and how it made you feel, and what you would tell your son so that he/his friends never harass a woman. (If you don’t have a son, imagine what you would say to a young friend, cousin or nephew).
You can talk in English, or in any Indian language that you are comfortable with.
You could even send us a video you shoot of a friend or relative talking on this subject.
Shoot your video in landscape format, i.e. width larger than height.
Use mp4, mov or avi formats if you are shooting on a video camera.