It is so disheartening to read all these stories. Eve teasing and inappropriate touches while walking on roads are such a common thing in India that every single woman probably faces it atleast once in her lifetime.
As I read through pages, various such incidences (minor though, thankfully) right from my childhood flashed through my mind, and I thought I would share them here because I may not do it ever again. They are things of the past.
As a 8-9 year old kid I was traveling on a train with my family, and there was that middle aged man on adjacent sit who started touching my clothes and my body inappropriately. I only remember feeling uncomfortable at his gestures and expressing my displeasure to him.
In my neighborhood there were 5-6 families close to each other, with kids of same age, boys as well as girls. We used to play together often. There was a boy among them, just a couple of years older to me, who once or twice tried to rub his body against mine or fall upon me, pretending as if it was an accident while we were playing badminton. It was shocking considering we used to address him as 'bhaiyya'. I stopped playing with him after that especially when no elders were around and always made sure I kept an eye on him while he played with my younger sister and her friend.
I went to a small town engineering college in late 90s, we girls were significantly minority community in the college and teasing by fellow male students was a very very common thing on campus. Also, that was the time when I used to travel alone a lot, between hostel and home. While inappropriate touches by fellow passengers are common, I remember one particular incident where a boy of same age as mine tried to touch my hand and shoulders from behind, and I made him get down from the bus immediately by narrating the incident to the bus conductor. I even remember using safety pin as a tool a couple of times 😆
But I have to say I have a really pleasant experience of workplace. In the last many years that I have been working, I haven't experienced any single incidence of subtle/serious harassment myself or with my female colleagues. Either I am extremely lucky in that aspect or the corporate world is comparatively a much safer place for women.