A few days ago a viral clip of actress Saoirse Ronan politely reminding her male panelists on the 'Graham Norton Show' about how women are constantly bracing themselves for attacks that might come their way has been circulating online.
Based on her intervention, here are 5 of the most common activities that women said they can't do in peace, without worrying that they might be verbally or physically attacked by someone else:
1. To go for a walk or run alone
Walking and running can be among one's favorite activities to do. In a study done, women have expressed that they never enjoy a single walk without the terrible scenarios that they may fall victim to a rapist. 'That's not being dramatic, that's being a woman,' they say. They don't imagine things. The study shows that one in five women has been sexually harassed at least once in their life.
2. Put on the headphones
Women make constant risk assessments throughout their day, questioning whether it's safe to walk home with their headphones in their ears. Plus, disasters that are a concern for men, like getting lost on foot in an unfamiliar city, are a greater risk if you're a woman.
3. To save money on taxis
Because women have to think about their security more than men, they spend more money to maintain it. Often they would like to be able to walk home, but it is safer to use a form of transport, or a taxi so that their relatives are not disturbed. Security shouldn't be a luxury, it's a necessity.
4. To take the fastest way home
Getting home, day or night, is never about the fastest routes. Women should choose well-lit streets with lots of traffic. They will usually avoid parks and don't think they can risk going to a public toilet if they are alone. If they are wearing high heels, they will also take flat shoes with them so that they are less noticeable on the way home.
5. Leave their drinks on the tables
Sometimes women and girls have to ask another woman to take a look at their drink from time to time, in case they are not around. We all know cases where women have been drugged in this way.
But safety is not a zero-sum game, and this is not about women blaming men. It's about good people of all genders recognizing that gender-based violence (and men are mostly assaulted by other men, let's not forget) is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed at all levels.
The first step for any man who considers himself an ally of women is to believe women when they express fear or concern for their safety. Even if a woman has not been assaulted, harassed or abused herself, someone close to her has experienced it. The statistics are real and they are terrifying. Don't suggest that women "need to calm down." They do not make up all these situations.
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