Overview

• After a man touched her inappropriately, Shaikh hit him and was struck so forcefully that she fell to the ground.
• The incident led her to rethink her responses to harassment and adopt a more guarded approach toward self-defense.
• She also recalled a separate episode during the COVID-19 lockdown when a tempo driver harassed and chased her through Mumbai streets.
• Shaikh warns that gender-based harassment is pervasive and that women are vulnerable simply for being female.
• Through open interviews and her rising profile, she is urging society to take collective responsibility for creating safer public spaces.