I was having a nice, day off trying to get on with my life and chatting with my girlfriends on facebook when this guy showed up on my chat list.
He starts not with saying a “Hi” or “Hello” like a normal person but with, “plz get married soon before 23 how old r u now. Why do you need more time”
- Imagine my surprise. My birthday is not even visible on Facebook.
- I am a firm intersectional feminist.
- I spend my days lecturing (for a living) on sexism in language and gender based violence.
- Do not believe in the institution of marriage (it’s just slavery of the oldest form).
This person believes he some how has the holy right to tell women on social media what is the right age to get married, something that he further goes on to explain, is for scientific reasons (did I feel harassed or what?!).
When I told him I will make this conversation public to which he threatened me back by saying that he will publish it on Mid day.
He even went on to call me an attention seeker when he was the one invading my privacy, threatening me, violating my personal space and dignity. He is not even on my friend list.
For a second I contemplated calling the cyber cell. Then I thought of posting this on the feminist pages on social media.
Isn’t the report function on Facebook supposed to protect me from people like this?
Apparently not. Facebook merely will ask me to block this person, and he will be free to do this to other women out there. I wish there were serious laws against cyber stalking and harassment. These kinds of small incidents empower cyberbullies to go further and then we hear gruelling issues of gender based violence, rape threats and death threats.
So here I am telling you all the tale of my constant bump in with sexism and raising another red flag in a sea of red flags.
