Fully-covered, wearing a dress, shorts, or a burkha – Doesn’t matter what you are wearing.

Illiterate men, desperate old uncles, educated youngsters – Doesn’t matter who the perpetrator is.

Eve teasing is something that we women live with day in and day out. Statistics show that the number of eve teasing cases reported in India have grown manifold in the past year. Delhi, the supposed crime capital of India, alone has reported a 5-fold increase in crimes against women (rape, molestation and eve-teasing) since 2013. Eve-teasing complaints in that period also saw a 5-fold increase from 154 cases to 793.

“Maal” and “item” are just two of the words men use to degrade women as objects. While we often ignore eve teasers not wanting to create a scene, it’s high time we speak up.

Here are 10 things that we’d like to say/do to the eve teasers.

1. “NO.”

Just one word but it takes courage to say it. Speak up. Don’t be a mute spectator. Because if you won’t, no one will.

2. “We make up half the population of this country and have the right to live here as freely as you do.”

3. “My body is not your playground.”

4. Take out your phone and click the bastard’s picture. Post it on social media and let him die of shame.

5. “How would you feel if it were your mother, sister, wife or daughter?”

6.Don’t be ashamed. Make them feel ashamed instead.

7. “Yes, I drink and smoke. No, I am not a slut. BTW, Fuck You!”

8. “My eyes are up here!”

9. “Yes, I wear a bra and it shows. So?”

10. “I didn’t ask for it. I am not asking for it. I will not ask for it. Don’t you get it?”

Being a woman in our country is hard. Don’t make it any more harder for us.

Sincerely,

Your sisters and mothers

To take a stand against gender violence, eve teasing and discrimination, visit Got Stared At .