Session 10 - Gertrude's Day

This is Gertrude.  She is 15. One morning, as she was walking to school in her uniform a man in a van shouted out of his window as he drove past: “Look at size of them!”. He laughed loudly. Gertrude pulled her blazer closely around her chest.

This is public sexual harassment (also known as street harassment).

Later that morning, Gertrude was sitting with a friend at break time. A group of boys in their year walked past and Gertrude heard one of them say “actually, I wouldn’t touch either of them, not even with yours”. The boys laughed, pushed each other and jostled past.

This is sexual harassment and it is against the Public Sector Equality Duty which is part of the Equality Act 2010.

At lunchtime, Gertrude was making her way to a seat in the hall when an older boy pushed up against her. She felt trapped and there was nowhere to put her tray down in the crowd. He didn’t say anything, but she could feel him shoving his crotch on her and she felt hot and sick.

This is sexual assault. It is a sexual offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

During her afternoon lesson, Gertrude’s teacher called her over. He said that she needed to roll her skirt down, it was shorter than the school dress code said it should be and was distracting for the boys in the class and he told her she was putting them off their work. He said she was “asking for trouble”.

This is a sexist double standard, it is victim-blaming and it is against the Public Sector Equality Duty which is part of The Equality Act (2010).

After school on the bus ride home, Gertrude was listening to music through her earphones. She noticed the man sitting next to her kept moving. When she looked round, she saw that he had exposed his penis and was masturbating next to her. Gertrude didn’t know what to do. She wanted someone to look her way so they would see what was happening and make him stop but everyone was looking at their phones or out the window. Gertrude wanted to cry.  She got off the bus before her stop and had to walk the rest of the way home.

This is exposure and it is a sexual offence under The Sexual Offences Act (2003).

Later, Gertrude was doing her homework in her bedroom. A notification pinged for the app she uses to share pictures of the make-up she does for friends and family. The message was from an adult man she didn’t know and it was a photo of an erect penis. That was the fifth one she’d received in two days.

This is sexual communication with a child and it is a sexual offence under The Sexual Offences Act (2003).

Later that evening, another notification appeared. It was a message from Gertrude’s friend Phyllis. Apparently, Harold (Phyllis’ boyfriend’s best friend) liked Gertrude. Phyllis suggests that Gertrude sends him a nude. Phyllis says that will stop everyone thinking Gertrude is a lesbian. Gertrude ignores Phyllis then gets a message from Harold saying that Phyllis had told him Gertrude will send him nudes. When she doesn’t reply, Harold messages her telling her that she is a tease, calling her names and saying she is fat.

This is a child sex offence committed by a child or young person and is a sexual offence under The Sexual Offences Act (2003).

The next day, Gertrude had her girls’ group.

Gertrude told the group how difficult the previous day had been. With the group leader, Gertrude and the other girls planned how to change things.  They knew it would take time, hard work and commitment, but Gertrude and everyone else in the group wanted to ensure other girls don’t have endure awful and illegal stuff.  They were confident that with courage, and by working together, girls can change their world!