One… just ONE story. Hmm. Ok! Last day of primary school (12 years old) and my best friend & I are walking home in Plumstead (Cape Town) when a truck passes us. As we wait on the side of the road IN our school uniforms, the man in the front seat wolf-whistles at us and makes a gesture which I was, at the time, quite confused about (blow-job mouth & hand movement). As the kid in class who never swore or did bad things, I was shocked to find myself showing him the finger in anger & then spent the rest of the week (nay, much more!) feeling guilty about the fact that I ever did something that rude to anybody (Catholic school does that!). I think the worst thing about it at the time was how my anger at his lewdness turned me into somebody I didn”t really identify with, and was horrified to discover. I was a good kid, and he\’d made me feel so disgusting that I acted out. Uff, that was one of the early stories. Life for women & girls in SA… harassment just seems to be an accepted part of it!
LOCATION: Plumstead, Cape Town
POSTED BY: Terry
