'I love busking - but I get harassed by men every day'

Nehanda Ferguson loves nothing more than busking on high streets in the West Midlands and says she "spreads happiness" by singing.

But as she draws attention with her performance, it also brings unwanted sexual innuendo, comments on her appearance and other harassment - making her "skin crawl with violation", she says.

On different occasions she has experienced men rummaging through her handbag, holding her in a headlock, persistently asking her to stay in a hotel, and being filmed while verbally objectified.

Now, through the power of social media, she has begun to live stream her performances, creating a deterrent for would-be troublemakers, and, she says, allowing her followers to alert help if needed.

"I can sweep [harassment] under the carpet and keep pretending that it doesn't happen all that often and I'm fine, but in actual fact it happens daily," she said.

A recent incident in Coventry, where three men approached her and made lewd comments, made her hesitant to wear the clothes in which she was hassled.

"I [began to wear] jeans in the summer while singing," she said, "and I never do that - I like to get a tan outside."

She also performs in Walsall, Rugeley and Lichfield, and further afield in the East Midlands, including Nottingham and Derby.

Live streaming her performances on TikTok had become a crucial part of staying safe in public, she told the BBC, explaining how it can capture inappropriate behaviour.

Videos of Ferguson directly confronting men while singing have thousands of views.

Ferguson has been busking for seven years, and tended, she said, to put the "not so nice experiences" behind her. But after a run of negative attention she felt she had been "tipped over the edge".

"I'm going to call it out for the way it makes me feel, which is violated," she explained.

"Some men feel entitled [to do it] and think that women are no more than a pretty package, but I come with a razor sharp tongue too."

She has more than 100,000 followers on social media and said it was her responsibility to "step up" and show young girls that unwanted sexual attention was not acceptable.

While she hoped other people subjected to harassment would "call it out", she stressed it should only be done if it was "safe to do so" and people felt comfortable in taking action.

She added her stance should not be misconstrued as not welcoming positive responses to her performanes, but said comment could be made without a sexual or objectifying slant.

She said that generally she had seen a "noticeable upturn" of people holding others accountable online for inappropriate behaviour - actions which gave her "goosebumps".

She said that while negative incidents on the high street were off-putting, she would not let it stop her from performing.

"My favourite part about what I do is the exchange of joy [between myself and the audience] - it's so pure," she said.

Victim Support, a charity supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents, said sexual harassment was "any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel scared, humiliated or intimidated".

It can include many different behaviours like suggestive comments and name-calling, sexual jokes or innuendos, unwanted flirting and indecent exposure.

The charity offers a safe place to voice fears and worries and encouraged people to seek help so they can feel "back on track with their lives".

Additional support such as counselling is sometimes needed, it says, to help people explore their thoughts, feelings, relationships and behaviours.

BBC Action Line offers a range of information and support opportunities - the website can be found here.

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