< Translator’s note: The original formatting of the stories has been preserved. The translations aim to remain as close as possible to each author's original wording and expression.

 

I don’t know if this is considered violence, but…

When I was around 10-11 years old (I definitely remember that it was grade 5), I was put at the same desk with a boy whom I was supposed to “influence positively.” I remember that every day, for a long time, he would touch my thighs and say that he liked it. I asked him to stop as I was uncomfortable and sometimes in pain when he would grab harder; however, both he and the teachers ignored my requests. Now, anytime someone touches my legs, I recoil

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Anonymous author, 19 years old; story shared in 2024 as part of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”