Tempted to touch? Hands off my body
Sep 14, 2007
WHAT is wrong with some men today? From unpleasant stares at our breasts to brushing their hands on our bodies without our assent, they are bound to get onto your nerves.
By Mable Twegumye
WHAT is wrong with some men today? From unpleasant stares at our breasts to brushing their hands on our bodies without our assent, they are bound to get onto your nerves.
Gabrielle Olo, a married woman, narrates how a bunch of men embarrassed her in front of her kids. “One day I was walking with my children and a man hissed at me. I tried ignoring him, of course, but the next thing I felt was his ugly hand on my behind,†says Olo. “I turned to scream at him, but he started abusing me and his colleagues joined him.â€
Naomi, a student at Uganda Christian University, faced worse intrusion. ‘Last week I was moving in a taxi and I sat next to this nuisance. He started extending his hands to my thighs and touching me. I screamed and had to alight from the taxi,†she says
When Naome discussed it with her male colleagues back at campus, they did not see why she was so upset. They told her that was simply business as usual.
David Gumisiriza, a media practitioner with a keen interest in social behaviour, says all men have an animal instinct in them; however, they must control it.
“Our sisters and mothers are out there and shouldn’t be treated like that. We owe them respect,†he says.
What begins as an unwelcome touch could turn into rape, says Gumisiriza. Sometimes, it comes from men who are least expected to do it.
This, indeed, is what Elizabeth Nalubaale fears. She wonders what will happen if they find you in a secluded place if they can touch you indecently in public. “These men cannot imagine the disgust that washes over you when a stranger takes liberties with your body,†she says.
Evelyn Zake, a counsellor at Bugiri Health Centre, says it has happened to her too. Some men brush their hands on women’s breasts, behinds or even try to hold them by force in public as they walk. This is very disrespectful and is abuse of a woman’s rights.
Zake advises: “If you feel uncomfortable about someone’s behaviour, do not hesitate to point it out to them. Let us not put up with this behaviour. If you just keep quiet and even smile, then the man will think you are asking for more.â€
WHAT is wrong with some men today? From unpleasant stares at our breasts to brushing their hands on our bodies without our assent, they are bound to get onto your nerves.
Gabrielle Olo, a married woman, narrates how a bunch of men embarrassed her in front of her kids. “One day I was walking with my children and a man hissed at me. I tried ignoring him, of course, but the next thing I felt was his ugly hand on my behind,†says Olo. “I turned to scream at him, but he started abusing me and his colleagues joined him.â€
Naomi, a student at Uganda Christian University, faced worse intrusion. ‘Last week I was moving in a taxi and I sat next to this nuisance. He started extending his hands to my thighs and touching me. I screamed and had to alight from the taxi,†she says
When Naome discussed it with her male colleagues back at campus, they did not see why she was so upset. They told her that was simply business as usual.
David Gumisiriza, a media practitioner with a keen interest in social behaviour, says all men have an animal instinct in them; however, they must control it.
“Our sisters and mothers are out there and shouldn’t be treated like that. We owe them respect,†he says.
What begins as an unwelcome touch could turn into rape, says Gumisiriza. Sometimes, it comes from men who are least expected to do it.
This, indeed, is what Elizabeth Nalubaale fears. She wonders what will happen if they find you in a secluded place if they can touch you indecently in public. “These men cannot imagine the disgust that washes over you when a stranger takes liberties with your body,†she says.
Evelyn Zake, a counsellor at Bugiri Health Centre, says it has happened to her too. Some men brush their hands on women’s breasts, behinds or even try to hold them by force in public as they walk. This is very disrespectful and is abuse of a woman’s rights.
Zake advises: “If you feel uncomfortable about someone’s behaviour, do not hesitate to point it out to them. Let us not put up with this behaviour. If you just keep quiet and even smile, then the man will think you are asking for more.â€