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The Everyday Sexism Project exists to catalogue instances of sexism experienced by women on a day to day basis. They might be serious or minor, outrageously offensive or so niggling and normalised that you don’t even feel able to protest. Say as much or as little as you like, use your real name or a pseudonym – it’s up to you. By sharing your story you’re showing the world that sexism does exist, it is faced by women everyday and it is a valid problem to discuss.

If you prefer to e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. I can upload your story for you instead. Follow us on Twitter (and submit entries by tweet) at @EverydaySexism.

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#31707 Lesley 2013-05-11 11:33
Being told that as a woman (of Portuguese heritage) that my job is to get married, have babies and take care of the men in my family because that's what women are made for.
 
 
#31706 Lesley 2013-05-11 11:27
When I was eighteen, some guy in his car stopped me for directions somewhere (I was on my way to the train station). I gave him the directions the best I could and because I was looking at his face obviously, I failed to notice that he had his penis out and was masturbating but was trying to do it in a non obvious way, at a glance it just looked like he had his hands in his lap. I didn't fully notice what he was actually doing until he brought my attention to it after I finished giveing the directions, and said "did you see this?" while pointing down. I felt so upset and degraded I ran away. As I was running away I heard him laughing. When I got to the train station and saw the people I was catching the train with, I told them and everyone just laughed and treated it like it wasn't a big deal. Sad to know sexism is so common that something as offensive as that is just shrugged about
 
 
#31705 Abigail 2013-05-11 11:17
Having set up a my own new company after 22 years of employment I decided it best to include my husband in the business as a minor shareholder. After filling in 2 sets of forms at my bank and 3 face to face meetings (alone) I awaited my new bank cards, online access etc. It was all delivered this morning in my HUSBANDs name. They have only met me, 4 times, they have my email address and telephone number and I have banked with them for 25 years and yet as soon as I include my husband on a single form he gets top billing. Come on.
 
 
#31704 Mary 2013-05-11 11:13
Going for a job interview for the same job I was already doing at a new location, being told over and over again in the interview that it was 'very technical' and 'has a lot of technical stuff in it' and 'needs technical modes of thinking' and quite difficult. Never got the job, and later learned they'd hired a man I knew to be desperately unqualified for a job I'd been doing 5 years.
 
 
#31703 Kezia 2013-05-11 10:48
During a night drinking with friends whilst I was 17 (now 21), I found myself alone with a guy I had kissed at his friends place. I was rather drunk and I usually slept in just underwear, being drunk and tired I stripped down to just my g-string to fall asleep with him on the fold out lounge. He tried to insert his fingers inside so I locked my legs closed so he couldn't do a thing. He then took my hand and tried to put my hand down his pants and I said why are you doing that? He said he didn't know. Two of his friends came in and one decided he would lay on the other side of me and attempt to try to put his fingers inside me. I kept trying to fight them both off. I was so drunk and just tired. The guy who had came to lay next to me left. Then another guy who was 25 came in and was laying next to me, I lost it. I went off at him and he jumps up and leaps to the end of the bed trying to calm me down, and tell me he wasn't doing anything. (Yeah he didn't but he was going to). I was swearing at him and eventually he left.
That is one of the worst stories I have. And I have PLENTY!!
 
 
#31702 Nicky Turner 2013-05-11 10:42
Calling to have one of my utility accounts set up when I moved house, I was offered the options of Miss or Mrs - and told there was no Ms option. This was 2012 and a major UK company (I forget which).
 
 
#31701 Ruth 2013-05-11 10:37
Road worker crews in Australia have started hiring women! Good? No. They are given the job of holding the stop signs, while the men dig up the road.
 
 
#31700 M 2013-05-11 10:23
Walking home with my housemate on a Friday night, dressed relatively conservatively (NOT that it should make a difference), we walk past a group of guys, one of whom shouts "You have a nice body!..." Now, already I take offence to this because I'm a firm believer that there is NOTHING about a girl walking down the street that should be taken as open invitation to express physical assessment or sexual comments to her, or as an invitation to conversation at all. A stranger liking the way I look is absolutely NO indication of any interest on my part in engaging with them or hearing their opinions. And I really see no reason why some guy on the street should feel entitled to comment on my body, even if that comment is 'positive' (very deliberate quotations on that word, by the way).
My offense turned to absolute disgust because the guy said "You have a nice body" and followed that with "I want to fuck you from behind". Where on EARTH do people get off thinking it's okay to shout something like that? And thinking I should be flattered!?? Crazy.
 
 
#31699 Lesley 2013-05-11 10:19
Attended a 40th birthday party last night where the DJ kept encouraging "you girls" to "shake your boobies". Strangely he wasn't asking any of the men to do the same with their body parts
 
 
#31698 Nicola 2013-05-11 10:13
Sometimes in my professional capacity I have to go to networking lunch events. I am often in a minority of women and I have learnt to NOT wear black outfits. If I do I guarantee that at least one other attendee (male or female) will assume I am a waitress and and ask for more food / wine / where to hang their coat. Funny how I never seeing them out the same questions to similarly -attired men in the room.