These are the real stories that drove us to build Lumira. Women who refused to be intimidated.
Most women don't tell anyone.
Not their best friend. Not their mom. Not the police.
Because they don't want to sound hysterical. Because they're afraid no one will believe them.
Because it somehow 'comes with the territory'.
It does not come with the territory.
#SpeakOut is not a space for complaints. It's a space for courage.
Real stories. No filter.
🌙 Walking Home
"I live in Ingolstadt and often walk home from the train station at night — I know the route inside out. One evening a man followed me the entire way. Over ten minutes. I pretended to be on the phone. I didn't call anyone — I couldn't. At home I locked the door and sat on the floor for ten minutes. Afterwards I thought: why do I have to go through this alone? Now I talk about it. Out loud."
— Miriam, 22 · Ingolstadt
🎓 Campus
"I study at LMU. One evening after a lecture, a man on the empty campus path started walking next to me making comments. I ignored him and walked faster. He walked faster. I ran. He stopped. What still makes me angry: I afterwards thought I should have reacted differently. As if it were my fault. It wasn't my fault. It was his."
— Sophie, 20 · Munich
💗 Dates
"I met someone from Tinder. Everything was fine — but I had still told my friend beforehand: 'Call me in two hours, no matter what.' That's been my standard plan for years. That I need this for a normal date makes me sad. But I've stopped being ashamed of it. I'm careful — and that's brave, not weak."
— Zeynep, 24 · Frankfurt
🚇 Public Transport
"I often take the bus home through Ingolstadt in the evenings. One evening a man sat next to me — the bus was almost empty. He started whispering. I just stood up and moved to the front row, directly behind the driver. The man got off eventually. I waited with the driver until he was gone. I said nothing. But I also didn't just sit there. That counts."
— Jana, 19 · Ingolstadt
💬 Harassment
"On my way to work I'm regularly approached on the street. Comments about my appearance. Sometimes they follow me a bit. I used to try to be invisible — hood up, headphones in, eyes on the ground. Now I walk upright. I look straight ahead. I say 'No' loudly when needed. I've stopped making myself smaller than I am."
— Laila, 23 · Cologne
🏃 Sports
"I jog through the city park early in the mornings. Last summer a man shouted at me on a quiet path and then started running. I sprinted away. At home I cried. And then the next morning I went again. Because he doesn't get to take away my favourite route. That is resistance."
— Anna, 21 · Leipzig
🌙 Walking Home
"I work shifts, often finishing after midnight. I know the U-Bahn line by heart. I know the stations where I'd rather not get off alone. I know the kebab shop on the corner that's open until 3am — because there's light there. This knowledge carries me home. And I refuse to see it as defeat. It's intelligence."
— Fatima, 25 · Berlin
🎓 Campus
"I study at THI in Ingolstadt. The path from the car park to the library is barely lit in the evenings. I told my study group about it — everyone knew the feeling. Now we walk together in the evenings. We have a group chat. We message each other when we get home safely. Community is the safest thing I know."
— Lara, 22 · Ingolstadt
💗 Dates
"Before every first date, I always send my sister the name, photo and location. Always. That's not being dramatic — that's self-protection. My sister does the same. We never discussed it. We just both started doing it at the same time. That says everything."
— Nadia, 20 · Hamburg
🌙 Walking Home
"I live in central Ingolstadt and walk home almost every evening from the job centre area. The intersection near Westpark is unpleasant in the evenings — poor lighting, barely anyone around. I started sharing the route. With friends who have similar paths. Small changes, thought through together, make a difference."
— Sara, 23 · Ingolstadt
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10 stories · from 5 German cities · including Ingolstadt