< 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.

​

One time, it was Teacher's Day, my classmate and I, and several other students were given a task to congratulate a male teacher. Before a lesson, he entered his classroom, and the four of us came to say our greetings. We gave him a present and said some words. To show his appreciation, he shook the boys’ hands and kissed my classmate and me on the cheek. I tried to dodge the kiss but to no avail.

​

When I told my homeroom teacher and explained that it was inappropriate and a violation of my boundaries, she promised to talk to him; however, at first, she tried to convince me it was normal because french greet each other that way. I told my parents, but my dad said I was exaggerating. I was very hurt, I was almost crying in front of him, he didn’t even try to understand how much the teacher was treating girls differently from boys, and that the kiss was surprising and unwanted.

​

My classmate (a girl) later developed a rash on her face because of the teacher’s stubble. Our (male) classmates disapproved of the teacher’s behavior, but only after we asked if they would act the same of the kiss was addressed to them. After all that, I was told so many times how no one had the right to step over my boundaries, but when it would inevitably happen, and I would talk about it, I would be reprimanded.

​

I don’t think that the teacher gave us kisses to humiliate us, but he definitely didn’t realise that we didn’t want that.

​​

Anonymous author; story shared in 2022 as part of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”