I feel that sexual harrassment is still a very sensitive subject that should be denounced more often, and I’d like to thank every group who denounces it with no fear. I knew how much women suffered about sexual harassment every day in a country where this kind of behavior is banalized and normalized, still I never truly and personally experienced this ugly feeling until last night.

I’m glad that what happened wasn’t a “live shock”, I know there are much worse cases (rape for example – and I hope one that one day I’ll be able to make a difference about it), but I still find it necessary for me to talk about it.

So it was 3 in the morning, and I was sleeping after a long day, when I suddenly receive a message via WhatsApp from a number I do not know. (70-017 169). It was a man talking to me (A man I do not know- I checked), and I quote : “hal soder yalli 3leyke chou raddou3, ana bmout bi bzezik w be7lam marmegh w farfik wejje bayneton”.

Not thinking straight at 3 in the morning, I started insulting him out of anger. A few minutes later, as a sign of courage and manliness, he sends me two pictures of his penis, claiming that “we’ve met a few times on the streets of Achrafieh and that it was perfectly normal for him to do so”.

Seeing how angry I was getting, he adds: “Ma bat7ebbe 7adan ywarjeeke hal no3 men el mashe3er?”. In other words : Why aren’t you prostrating yourself infront of my oh so very powerful arm. (“Adeeb”, as he calls it).

But what surprised and shook me even more was my friend’s reaction, who accused me of ‘giving my number to people I barely knew’, response that illustrates very well the sick-sexually frustrated/frustrating society we live in, where sexual harrassment follows you into your own house and in your sleep and where the first reaction you get after this kind of incident is: “giving your number to strangers is bad”, but a random guy harrassing you, sending pictures of his penis and sexually humiliating you is normal. I pity this kind of mentality, I find this revolting and non-acceptable.

Submitted by Anonymous

Location: Achrafieh

Time of harassment:   2-6: Late Night / ما بعد منتصف الليل

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

As usual I finished my 2 hrs run at lebanese university (it’s close to my house and I feel comfortable running there, better than running on the street). When I existed the university and walked a small distance I noticed a guy (aged 17-18) following me. I took a van (small one #4) he followed me and sat next to me.

He tried to start a conversation with me but I clearly stated that am older than him and I dont want to talk to him! he then started to touch my thighs with his fingers:

so I told him:”shu 3am ta3mol!”

He said: “ma shi!”

I can’t remember what happened after but when he wanted to leave the van I stood so he could go down .. his put his hands on my back!!

so I was fed up w I shouted b al van” enta 23od! shu 3melet hal2?! ma fye tenzal! w b kel baradet a3sab bred: ma shi! ana kamalet w edam al kel: ween hatet edak?!

2ali: majnoni enti!

told him: enta al bala a5la2! w hal haki kelo edam al nas w edam al driver!

nezel howi w ma hada 2alo kelmi!!!!! I felt so defeated!! cuz I did what I had to do! although there were 2 men and a women and the van driver!! none of them said a single word!!!!! what a society we live in!! I feel so sorry to even be part of such a community

Submitted by Malak

Location: Hadi Nassrallah Boulevard

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

Today like everyday, I was walking around waiting for the bus to go home. As I was waiting I heard a car honking, my first thought was maybe this was a taxi and he was honking to ask me where I’m going, but what I saw was a car with a while number plate, not red like taxis have!

A little voice in my head was asking me to unleash my fury while another said maybe he was asking for directions. I approached the car with confidence but also I was careful.

I asked the 40 year old man how I can help me, he told me to come in. Ahaaa, that was all I wanted to hear, that little nod he did that says “get in the car”, the way his hands removed an object placed by the driver’s seat were exactly the signs I was looking for, a reason to vent without feeling guilty!

I started yelling at him in Jemmayzé’s busy street, everybody heard and saw what I was doing. The man instantly blushed and apologized but I kept yelling at him and saying “girls aren’t toys for you to play with, they aren’t here to please, girls like me are strong and not afraid to make a scene!”

Damn it, I wish I was able to take a picture of him before he drove away, ashamed of himself…

To be honest, I’m starting not to mind being harassed by random guys for two reasons, the first is that I have a busy life, so I could use something to vent some of that build up pressure, and second because I know I can -and I will- stand up for myself, while other girls might not, so I stand up and show those guys that girls are raising their voices and refuse to be silent any longer!

Submitted by Res Light

Location: Gemmayze – Mar Mikhael

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

This is the second time i post here, this is a sign that something is definitely wrong! no girl is safe.

Anyway there was this one time, where me and my friend(a girl) were walking back to my place from sassine square, we got to the alley after “Ogero” , so i felt that someone was following us, so i looked back just to make sure (it has become a reflex since my last accident where i almost got raped)…

There was this guy who looked like a hobo, and he had a really weird expression on his face, and that’s when i realized that he was actually masturbating behind us ! i just couldn’t believe my eyes!

i told my friend to run when i tell her to, So i turned back and started yelling at him and i went after him,and he ran away, so i turned back to my friend and screamed and told her to run !

and that’s how i escaped my second harassment ! jeez, is there no morals anymore in this country ? i just can’t trust anyone anymore, not even my own boyfriend sometimes !

Submitted by M.K.

Location: N/A

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

I was in Citymall hanging out with my friend and it was a bit late (around 11h30 pm). I called a taxi company I trust, and as he called me back I left the mall to take it. My friend checked with him and the driver confirmed that he was the cab I called.

As I was saying goodbye to my friend I noticed a pervert look in the driver’s eyes. As soon as he drove, he took the sea side road, it looked creepy, no lights and no cars.

The driver started to lower the speed and he started to go to the right and then back to the center of the road as if he was searching for the right spot to park. I was worried and scared for a moment as it seemed he was going to pull on the right side in a deserted road so I started to think of ways to run away.

I was lucky when this happened, I receive a phone call asking where I was as the taxi I called was still waiting for me in front of the mall.

Immediately I asked him to take me back to the mall and asked to which taxi company he works. I saw disappointment on his face.

Submitted by Anonymous

Location: City Mall, Dora, Beirut

Time of harassment:  20-2: Night / الليل

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

Submitted by Anonymous

Location: Dbayeh & Zahle

Time of harassment:  10-16: Daytime / عز النهار

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

I was sitting on the large bus seats alone until a young man in his 20′s came and sat next to me!

It was all fine until I felt his hand is moving, so I looked down and noticed he was masturbating. Knowing myself and my bad temper, I decided to stay quiet until he speaks to me (which I’m sure he will). then suddenly he asks me if I have a tissue paper, I said no and then asked him “bcharafak, don’t feel ashamed of doing this?”

He was shocked that I actually faced him and said something about it. He said why should he be ashamed, it’s something normal for a guy to do! Oh oh, he just made a huge mistake, he got into an argument with me!!

I told him since you don’t feel ashamed then why don’t you stand up and yell it out loud, yell it to all the people on the bus, say what you’re doing -and I said this in a loud voice, and noticed the people sitting in front of us and next to us were listening.

He started asking me to lower my voice, begging to stay quiet. hahaha this will teach him to mess with the wrong girl, JARASTO on the bus.

but this was not the end of our discussion, my bad temper and womanly pride did not allow me to shut up, instead I kept on demeaning him and showing him how stupid, immature he looks and that doing this does not make him a man!

I even dared him to do this in front if his own father, mother and sister, he was shocked to hear me even say that, especially that I doubted his “man-hood” by saying if you’re a real man, you’d do that in front of your parents, and not to strangers!

I enjoyed vending my anger on him but sadly I had to get out of the bus! ah well, another day and another adventure!

I guess it’s just another day at “Cleaning Beirut streets from human-trash!”

Submitted by Red Light

Location: Sassine

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

The Manager asked me to sit on the couch, me with no suspicion of anything yet did, then he sat right next to me thighs touching and his arm around me…

I was scared, knew he intented to make sex advances, took my purse and ran away terrified by it!

Submitted by F.H.

Location: N/A

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغط هنا

i was participating into the Protest against our Sectarian system on Sunday 26/2/2012 in Dawra Area .

We were waiting to start the Protest and i was taking photos around.
Suddenly i saw this man trying to stop this women . And he touched her and tried to stay infront of her by closing the street to not let her pass.

She tried to cross and pass by moving his body away from her by her hand as you can see . And when he turned, and saw me taking this photo…He turned and left , maybe scared from any kind of Reactions we will take to stop him from doing that again .

And in this way, she left too and continue walking forward and crossed the Road .

Shame on him and this stupid mentality of thinking of Women …

Submitted by Abdallah

Location: Dawra

Time of harassment: 16-20: Afternoon Rush Hour / العصر

Do you have a personal experience with sexual harassment or assault you would like to share? Please click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

هل لديك تجربة شخصية مع التحرش الجنسي أو الاعتداء تريد مشاركته ؟ الرجاء الضغطهنا

I was once in a parked car, in front of a building, on Ramle Bayda next to Nabihh Berre’s Residential Place. Police were Everywhere.

Anyway, i was in car waiting for a friend. who went up the building to get something from a friend. the streets were lit, and everything was okay. i didn’t have the slightest thought that something bad was about to happen. the Driver seat’s window and co-pilot’s ( mine ) were open.

i was sending a text message on my phone, when out of nowhere a man ( 40 ish ) jumped into the window, grabbed me in the neck and kissed me. i was chocking and fighting him with my hands. and he was kissing my neck and mouth, it was disgraceful.

i remember it as if it was yesterday. i started screaming with the little voice i was able to produce. no one came to my rescue. the man carried on, and then, with one hand on my neck, the other was down my skirt.

so i bit his mouth, that’s when i had a moment to fight back. and hit him with my hand on his head.

he took a step back. so i opened the door on him with all the strength i had. he started running, and i fell down and started crying. i peed myself of fear.

when my friend came down, i was on the ground. he was so angry, he went to the concierge of the builging, asking him why he didn’t do anything.

the old man said :” fakkaret bta3erfo! ” ( i thought she knew him ) SERIOUSLY?! so girl, don’t count on anyone to come to your rescue.

fight back, don’t lose control and fall for the fear of the moment. i would have loved to grab his neck in my hands. but was too scared.

thankfully i had enough strength to push him back. i almost died. he didn’t care about whether i die or not, he only cared about kissing me, while his hand on my neck was killing me.

Be aware, and be always ready for assaults like these. and rest assured, only you can help yourselves.