Sista Clinik

National service started on a good note, until some of the men in my office started to misbehave towards my fellow female service personnel and I. It started with sexual jokes which we were all not comfortable with. Then it moved on to gifts, money and promises to buy us stuff all in the quest to touch our bodies. There was one particular man who would go round each morning to greet everyone. He used that opportunity to rub his hands on our backs till he felt our bra through our dresses. I ignored it the first time thinking it was just my imagination. He did it again the next day and I began to feel uncomfortable. The third time he tried it, I gave him a bold and polite warning that I wasn't comfortable with that. His response? He shouted at me and asked me which sort of person I was and rained a few insults on me. I ignored him and reported the issue to my boss to talk to him on my behalf. Fortunately for me, my boss is one of the few upright men in the office. He did talk to...

Vera’s story on sexual harassment shared last Friday reminds me of mine . I recently changed jobs, and I quite remember the question my then employer asked when I broke the news of my resignation. Apparently he had heard from somewhere that his P.A was being harassed, sexually, by a man also in the office.   ‘ Are you leaving because of Kofi (real name withheld)?” he asked. “ I heard he’s been harassing you. Is it true ?” Well, no I wasn’t leaving because of Kofi; not necessarily. But Kofi wasn’t making my stay at the company easy either. I remember also vividly the very day I took the job. I was seated next to the lady who was handing over to me. There were a few things she needed to take me through before she took her big step out of the company.  As we sat behind the desk, this man that I later got to know as Kofi walked by. He went straight to the Augusta (also real name withheld), and while talking to her, helped himself to what was almost a scoop o...

Reading Alice’s story last Friday reminded me of mine. For some reason I had shoved this story somewhere deep into my subconscious. About a year ago, I was to spend the weekend at my best friend’s place at Lashibi so I stood at a particular spot while waiting for her to pick me up. A man in a Toyota pick-up stopped right in front of me and beckoned me closer. It was around 7pm. We both exchanged pleasantries and he offered to give me a ride, but I declined and thanked him. He then asked for my number which I refused to give, but he was adamant.  He went on to tell me how beautiful my shape was and how smooth my dark skin was and that he would wanted to take me somewhere and “play romance” with me or possibly have phone sex with me if I wouldn’t go with him.  All that while, he had this stupid grin on his face that probably to him, was charming. Boy was I mad! If I had had my dinner then, I probably would have heaved it on him.  I still don’t know...