In May, last year I joined @avasmv to work as a journalist. I found out @avasmv was looking for journalists and I have always wanted to work there because I really like their content. Being a journalist and a good writer was one of my dreams at the time. + https://twitter.com/Merihana/status/1284939675744923648

Even at the interview I was a little bit overwhelmed because the chief editor @mundooadam was degrading women saying how women can’t lead have no work ethic and how they always get absent to work. I wanted to prove him wrong. +

As I started to work, I started noticing weird behavior from him. How he would comment on the way I walk, the way I dress, or if the lipstick I wear is too bright as if I’m trying to impress him. It creeped me out. +

I would stay next to him when he edit my news and sometimes he would grab my hand to bring me closer or if I’m sitting he would pull my chair towards him to bring me closer. Not only this, but there were a lot of inappropriate touching which was traumatizing. +

I felt unsafe being around him and was afraid of being alone with him.There were only 2 girls who were working at that time, the rest were guys. Those guys are professional and very nice. +

The girls who were working there would talk about how disturbed and unsafe they felt bc of his behavior. One girl told me, he asked her whether she has a boyfriend or not. girls who were working there would talk about how disturbed and unsafe they felt because of his behavior. +

One girl told me, he asked her whether she has a boyfriend or not. One would ask why I didn’t complain about this to the CEO. As far as I know I am very sure that the CEO is aware of how @mundooadam harass girls. +

I was afraid to complain bc he would do something worse out of anger. He was a famously bad temper.Due to his actions I wasn’t able to concentrate at work and I was absent a lot. I have been sexually harassed before and its still a traumatizing event in my life to this day +

So when these things started happening, flashbacks started coming and it really stressed me out. I thought to myself, I saw the red flags beforehand ignoring it could cause more harm to me in the future. +

Therefore, I resigned in September.I felt so discouraged by this whole situation that i left media and gave up on my dream. Men like that kill dreams and distinguish hope for women. Men like that make it hard to climb the ladder. +

So i decided i wanted to climb another ladder where I do not face those obstacles. After I resigned, he said “fauza thimanna boluga ilzaamu alhuvaafa gossi” to his employees as if I’m the only one who have felt this disturbed due to his actions. +

Many have suffered workplace harassment from this man. They have worse stories than mine. But that's their story to tell. Im telling my story so that people know what we as women face. +

Today, I am glad to work at a place where they take sexual harassment as a serious issue and the fact that my boss is a women makes me feel a lot safer at work.

People ask why women cant stay at a job. In most work places there is always someone like this. A predator in charge who harasses women sexually. And if the woman confronts the predator for his behavior she risks being treated differently and unfairly, and even being fired.

Risks having career undermined by their influence.The mental gymnastics of all that is an extra stress on top of the stress of work. Men do not have to face this problem