"If women speaking up about their experiences with sexual harassment makes men uncomfortable: good. It should. "

In my book I talk about being uncomfortable as the foundation for actually 'saying something'. Girls and women don't speak out mostly because it's embarrassing to do so. (And sometimes it's scary, and sometimes we don't want to draw any more attention to the scene.)

Most often though, it's not wanting to 'make a fuss', or just not knowing what to say in the moment.

So here's the thing - we have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and speak out against sexism (if it's safe). In other words, fake it till you make it, because you will. The more you get used to saying something, the easier it becomes. But here are a few tips -

You don't owe anyone 'polite'; if they're not respecting you, don't worry about 'appearing rude'.

Don't say "please". You're not asking for a favour, you're reminding someone that what they're doing isn't appropriate.

Don't pose questions; this is not a debate or a negotiation.

But - context is everything - don't put yourself in danger!