The majority of women reported having made changes to their day-to-day lives as a result of experiencing sexual harassment or sexual assault. This included being hyper vigilant, avoiding men, avoiding sex and intimacy, avoiding going out in public, particularly at night, modifying appearance, and learning self-defence.

“I specifically remember how I felt that day. I was dressed, and I went to the theatre to see a musical. And while I was at a theatre, like I had all these men telling me that I looked beautiful, and I looked amazing, so it was just one of those moments where I just felt really beautiful. That is not the kind of feeling that I – you know, girls like us, for so long – we don’t really – our beauty is not really celebrated like that.” - Gabriella

“Being constantly very wary about where I will go...who I will be with, It's made it quite an anxious and stressful experience...Trying to navigate it all because...I don't want to be a statistic and I don't want any other transwomen to be a statistic as well.” - Petra

In our national survey, more than a quarter of transwomen of colour (28%) reported having experienced sexual assault more than ten times — double the rates of other women. Trans women were also more likely to experience frequent sexual harassment, and be assaulted by a stranger, compared to other women.

“A trans-chaser is someone who just goes after trans women and is not - he’s not accepting himself liking trans women so he does it in hiding”

— Sofia

“Dating cis-straight men for trans women is like playing Russian roulette. You pull the trigger, and it could be a ‘chaser’ - a man who fetishes trans women for their genitals, who will not openly date a trans woman, who will use and exploit her body but not care for her.” — community consultant