Women’s sexual harassment stories

Their target, the women of the country, especially the younger ones. This week, a young woman went as far to use her cell phone to videotape herself being sexually harassed by three men on the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain after she finished exercising. Unfortunately, this type of behaviour has become all too common on the streets of Trinidad and Tobago.

Sunday Newsday asked a number of women to share their stories of sexual harassment and, in some cases, sexual assault in downtown Port-of-Spain in their own words: Rachael Espinet My worst experience...

there are too many to say as my worst. The most recent was when a bunch of men, some of them wearing Public Service Transportation Corporation (PTS C) shirts followed me down City Gate talking about my butt. I wasn’t listening to them because I had my headphones in my ears deliberately to shield myself from hearing lascivious comments from them but they were close enough to me to hear.

Yes, I know people have a right to walk, wherever, but how they were moving, they were very predatory and I felt like I was being ganged up on.

Though it wasn’t anything near physically dangerous I still felt threatened. For me it’s rarely about actually feeling like my life is physically in danger but more like they are trying to intimidate me. I eventually turned around and asked them what their problem was and this short, red, rasta with a piece of metal filling in one of his front teeth gave me a big smile and said: “I was just telling my friends how much I admired you.” That’s the most recent.

One that shook me really badly was when I was walking out of City Gate down Broadway, and this man started walking behind me saying “Oh god baby, it’s pay day, I want to take you in the back and give you a massage.” So he stalked me from City Gate to KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on Broadway in Port-of-Spain), told me he would give me money to touch me, and genuinely frightened me because he could have touched me at any time - thankfully he didn’t.

After that incident, men who started following me, I started turning around and asking what they wanted. Another time this man started walking behind me saying “yes baby wiggle it, walk and wine”. I snapped and asked him what his f---ing problem was.

He laughed and continued to follow me.

Melanie (last name withheld) My worst experience of that occurred seven years-ago when I was 18-years-old.

My friend (also 18) and I were walking through Woodford Square and a much older Indo-Trinidadian man (maybe late 40s) started shouting at us “if allyuh were mine, whole day allyuh lock up in the house and we making children all day!” And he repeated it twice.

Most disgusting feeling ever.

Aurora* I was walking down Frederick Street from Duke Street corner.

The street had plenty of people walking in both directions. Everyone was minding their own business.

Then I passed by this tall slim Indian man who looked like he was just liming whilst leaning up on the wall of a store.

something about my looks and I ignored him. Then I realised he got annoyed by my indifference and proceeded to follow me.

I started to run. I ran straight into the mall where I met with some friends who were awaiting my arrival. He chased me straight up the stairs and into the food court and when he saw that I was with people I know and that I was relating my story he turned around and escaped.

(I never reported it to the police because) I told my friends and I wasn’t hurt so I didn’t bother. I was just a little shaken.

Vanessa* I was at my grandmother’s store on Charlotte Street rearranging some display goods. A man stood in front of the store and yelled, “slim, come let meh bite yuh___.” I was 12 and in my school uniform. There could not have been any ambiguity that I was under aged.

Sandra* I was working on Maraval Road in 2014. I was 19-yearsold and went to run an errand at the Republic Bank down on Tragarete Road, and a car pulled up alongside me with four grown men. They were in a white Nissan Sentra. I was dressed in typical business attire and they proceeded to drive alongside me and yell through the open window nasty things about my body and what they wanted to do with/to it. Things about what they wanted to put where.

I was really scared and felt violated. I thought they would pull me in. It was so bad, because they even made a round of the block and I had to call my mother and explain so she could meet me halfway. I was so disturbed because I didn’t feel safe at all walking a few hundred metres.

Martha* Once walking my daughter to pre-school a driver started hassling me. When I stopped and asked if he couldn’t at least respect the fact that I was with my child, he started addressing me with all manner of vile obscenities- with my child still at my side.

Secondly on Ash Wednesday this year. I was on my way to work and dressed for it. Literally two seconds away from the building. A car with about three to four men pulls around the corner and they all start saying things like “Reds, that bamcee needs some licks”. I was legitimately afraid for my safety.

I ran into the building before they could stop and actually do something.

This has got to stop. I quake every time I think that this is the world my daughter has to grow up in.

Lucy* I was walking downtown and a man grabbed at my crotch - yes he actually held on - and vanished into the crowd. I felt so violated that up until now it makes me sick with anger and revulsion, that sense of male entitlement to do what they wish with women’s bodies.

* Names changed upon request Activist Diana Mahabir-Wyatt told Sunday Newsday this type of harassment was “nothing new”.

“It is a culture that has existed for the last 40 years and it has not stopped or gotten better,” she added.

She said it happens to women ages of 14 to 60’s and “as long as they are female they are vulnerable.” She also said that if the women answer the men back, which they are beginning to do, the harassment can turn to violence.

“…And it is upsetting, and as time goes on and violence rises in society it gets more scary.

In years gone by it was just a comment and if you looked the other way nothing happened.

Now these idiots seem to feel for some reason you are going to welcome that kind of harassment it is an insult to them,” Mahabir-Wyatt explained.

She continued: “What on earth would make you think if you insult a woman she would run into your arms. What are they thinking?” Mahabir-Wyatt said that men do this to anger, annoy and insult. On how to change this culture she said one of the ways is to make parents understand that corporal punishment is not a way to bring up children.

“Sooner or later they would want to retaliate against the ones that beat them when they grow up they want to beat women because of their mother or grandmother (beat them),” she added.

She said the only way it can be changed is to start from parenthood training. The Office of the Prime Minister (Gender and Child Affairs) released a statement on the viral video stating that “it encourages the public to recognize that women and girls should be treated with dignity and respect”. They reported that harassment is unlawful under the Offences Against the Person Act.

“To all women and girls who may feel threatened or who are being sexually harassed, or any bystander who may notice someone experiencing difficulty regarding this conduct, please contact the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service by dialling toll free - 999”,” the release stated.