What My Dream About Fighting Harassment Taught Me About Speaking Up

 What My Dream About Fighting Harassment Taught Me About Speaking Up

Last night, I had a dream — not just a dream, but a message from my soul.

I was walking through a street when a group of boys began harassing me. They laughed, mocked, and humiliated me — something too many girls face in real life. One man stood out: tall, threatening, eyes filled with filth. He tried to flirt, to trap me — but I stood my ground.

I put my books down, and the only thing I had — a pen — became my weapon. I used it to fight back.

Suddenly, I was trapped in his house. Tied. Helpless. But even in that moment, something inside me screamed: fight back. And I did. I escaped. I ran back to the one place that made me feel safe — my home.

But that nightmare wasn’t over.

Through the space of my home’s gate, I saw him again — standing in front of a little girl. His eyes, full of lust and danger, locked on her like prey. That image broke me.

I rushed out, shouted at him with all the rage and courage I had: “You again?! You son of a—!” He ran away in fear.

He ran. Coward.

I turned to the little girl and said,

“Whatever he said, whatever he did — tell your friends, tell your parents, tell your teachers, tell everyone. Never stay silent.”

And then… I cried.

But not for her — for myself.

Because I remembered the times I didn’t speak.

The times I was silent.

The times I was scared and ashamed.

I cried because back then — I needed someone to open that gate and scream for me.

I cried because now I know — silence protects the wrong people.

That dream wasn’t just a nightmare.

It was a mirror.

And it told me:

You are not weak. You are the voice you once needed.

Harassment isn’t just a nightmare we see in dreams — it’s a reality too many face in silence.

According to UN Women, more than 70% of women have experienced harassment in public spaces, yet most never report it.

Why? Because fear, shame, and the fear of not being believed are stronger than we imagine.

But every voice matters.

Every time someone speaks — it lights a fire of courage in someone else.

If you've experienced harassment, if you’ve stayed silent, or if you’ve fought back even once — you are powerful.

And if no one stood for you — know this: you can still stand for others.

You can become the voice that once saved no one — and in doing so, save many.

Let this be the reminder:

You are not weak. You are not alone. You are worth believing.