A Lincoln student has spoken out about the harassment she faces while working as a delivery driver
Seren Protheroe says comments on her looks and shouting makes it a 'frightening' and 'uncomfortable' job
We're hearing harassment is affecting women in work, making them feel 'uncomfortable' and 'frightened'.
Seren Protheroe is a University of Lincoln student that has a part time job as a delivery driver to pay for things like accommodation, and food. She says she needs the job:
"My student loan doesn't cover my accommodation, and I don't get help from family, so I need the job to be able to pay for university and pay for a living and food costs, so I simply just can't leave the job.
"Also, as a student, especially in Lincoln- as it's a student dominated city- it's really hard to get other work here."
She says in her job she experiences a lot of harassment from comments on her looks to people shouting at her, she tells us some of the ways she feels she is singled out:
"So because the company I work for, we wear the uniform and it has the company name, the company logo on it multiple times. It's really easy to spot me in the streets
"As the evening goes along, you will get people coming up to you and it'll range from sexual comments to shouting and just harassment in general. This will happen not just to me, by myself, but in front of customers too."
She tells us of one experience she's had that left her frightened and scared:
"I was coming back from delivering to a customer and I'd gotten into my car and a group of people that had seen me walking back to my car, started knocking on my car door, trying to open it. They started saying that 'you better have more in there for us', 'you better have more food' and you're not really sure to do in that moment. It's just an initial reaction to make sure that you've got the doors locked or... umm. It makes you feel more vulnerable. Every time I see a group of teenagers, a group of lads walking either on my side of the street or outside the street when I'm getting out, or walking towards my car I feel anxious."
She says, she thinks it's young men having a laugh:
"I think a lot of the time young groups have lads will have it as what they call 'banter'. So they think it's a joke to shout at you across the street, it's funny to them, but as a group of men shouting at you know, a young woman in the street, it's it's scary.
"It makes you feel so vulnerable and it makes it quite frightening actually to do the job.
"I spoke to my male co-workers and they do get the odd comment, but they do not get it as much, if at all. I think that's mainly because young groups of lads think they can get away with it with a girl.
"They wouldn't go up to a 50 year old man and start having to go at him, so I think just because you know, I'm not very intimidating; I'm young girl, driving a very little car, and I'm only five foot four. So, I think it's just, I'm a very easy target, especially for a group against just one person."
For now Seren says she will be continuing her job but urges other women to speak out and download safety apps, and report any crimes of harassment.