WHAT CAN WE ALL DO FOR WOMEN’S SAFETY IN THE WINTER MONTHS?
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual violence.
The clocks have changed, and although we may have passed the welcome checkpoint of the winter solstice, dark mornings and darker evenings linger. With the season in full swing, a familiar sense of unease has returned for many. For women, people of marginalised genders, and members of the LGBTQ+ community in particular, the night brings a disquiet as we become increasingly aware that safe arrival at our destination is not guaranteed. Just over 18 months on from when this piece was originally published, we find ourselves frustrated by the lack of action taken to provide assurance in public spaces. For this reason, we’re revisiting our suggestions of tangible actions that we believe could help the situation.
Our first piece was written in response to the tragic passing of Sarah Everard, a case which shed light on the handling of violence against women more generally in the United Kingdom. In the months and years since then, countless women and people of marginalised genders will have faced sexual harassment or assault of some kind, and the question of what’s being done to combat this has been raised many times.
The highly publicised murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of Met Police officer Wayne Couzens of course brought about public outcry, and was a wake up call for many. The 2020 murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, and the subsequent police offences relating to their case, were also revisited in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death as their family and friends questioned the comparatively minimal response by the media, police, and government. Concerns resurfaced with the deaths of Sabina Nessa in September 2021, and Zara Aleena in June of this year, both of whom were walking in their local area in the hours of darkness when they were attacked and killed. All of these tragic stories shed light on a wider problem regarding the response to crimes against women, and to crimes against women of colour in particular.
As everyday fears and ruminations are repeatedly confirmed in the news, we must again acknowledge that this is not a burden shouldered solely by women, but is one which particularly impacts those facing other forms of discrimination due to race, gender identity, disability, or sexuality. The issue of violence against women is just a piece in the puzzle of a wider systemic failure to protect marginalised communities, and despite how far we might think we’ve come, we have a long way still to go.
We don’t want to have to think about these things, but while we still do, we hope by opening this conversation within our community we can revisit constructive solutions to help women, girls, and people of marginalised genders feel safer in public spaces. We would also like to reiterate that this is not about accusing all men of being predatory or a threat to women, but we do hope that men and boys in particular will be keen to understand how to call out toxic behaviour and language when they witness it, and how they can help women feel safer.
HERE’S A REMINDER OF OUR SHORT TERM SUGGESTIONS:
Improved safety measures in public spaces
Many of us are very used to thinking about changing routes for our own safety. This is most important once the sun goes down, and we tend to stick to public roads with more lighting.
One of the most obvious changes to be made is to increase lighting in parks and walkways, as well as to increase CCTV to reduce the number of areas in which harassment can go unnoticed.
“Just stick to well-lit walking routes”
Extensively planning your journey every time you go out is a draining experience, and well-lit roads and parks can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with an area. Features of navigation software now point us to the journey that features main roads, that’s shortest, that’s least busy or even that’s most dry at the touch of a finger. We need a successful equivalent for identifying well-lit and safe routes when walking - a technology that is free to use, verified, and government backed.
“So often I’ve been sent down multiple alleyways because it was given as the quickest route on Google Maps”
A 24-hour helpline for people who don’t have anyone to call
How many times have we been told to just call a friend, family member or partner if ever walking alone in the dark? Whilst this is helpful advice, and can be a huge comfort when you’re feeling anxious and at risk, it’s easier said than done for some.
“Just call a friend”
Particularly for single people, those who live alone, or those working shifts, it can feel like an overreaction to call someone ‘just to feel safe’. A freephone number set up for people to call if they don’t have anyone else at that moment in time would be a real game-changer for so many. Ideally, this would also be able to notify the police and track our location should an incident occur.
This number needs to be accessible 24/7. Women and people in the LGBTQ+ community don’t just feel unsafe at night: so many of us have stories of being followed or intimidated in broad daylight, so having a lifeline during daylight hours is just as important.
Discounted taxi fares for women travelling alone
Since we were young, we’ve been told to get a taxi home for our own safety. It’s hard to estimate the cumulative cost of this to the individual over the years. Discounted fares for vulnerable people travelling alone would go some way to offset the money spent trying to ensure a safe way home. This isn’t a luxury; it’s a contract for safe passage.
“Just get a taxi”
Many of us will remember being taught ways to keep safe when travelling in taxis - to never sit directly behind the driver, or to always note down their licence plate. From a young age, girls are advised that even taxis themselves are not a guaranteed safe haven, and that it falls upon us to take steps to avoid coming to harm. To this end, taxi companies could provide systems by which we are better able to flag up drivers to others, should they make us feel uncomfortable in any way. These could exist as a subset of rating systems already used by companies like Uber. There will of course be many legal considerations with these policies, but companies have a responsibility to look inward to see how they can help to keep their users safe.
Campaigns for safety on public transport and within venues
Though we’ve focused on outside spaces, we’re also interested in what can be done on public transport or in public venues - including music venues - to reduce harassment and support people who feel unsafe. We have seen some attempts at positive change in the past year or two in these spaces, where we should feel comforted by the presence of staff, surveillance, and other members of the public to call on should we need to.
Many of us couldn’t count the number of times we, or someone around us, have dealt with harassment on public transport or in venues. Unfortunately, incidents of harassment can be hard to identify, and are met with discomfort or uncertainty in bystanders who feel ill-equipped to deal with them. Education and empowerment is therefore key.
Examples of actions taken to this end include the October 2021 release of a campaign to ‘stamp out sexual harrassment on public transport’ by Transport For London. Posters are now displayed throughout the city; TfL hopes to encourage Londoners to support each other and engage by standers to speak up, so that perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions. This could involve people learning to recognise the signs of sexual harassment, providing support to the person who is being harassed, or reporting the incident.
Another example, suggested by VG writer Sarah, is the venue-focused Shout Up! Campaign. The campaign aims to “end sexual harassment in the nightime economy” and offers training and support to staff and patrons, as well as providing striking in-venue marketing and promotion. As many can attest, it’s unlikely that many of the pubs, bars and venues we spend time in would meet expectations in their handling of harassment, but campaigns like this are needed to get us to a point where tolerance of harassment is no longer the norm.
Take us seriously
Sexual harrassment and assault continues to be a growing problem in this country. In the year ending March 2022, the Office of National Statistics reported the number of rapes recorded by police had increased by 26% on the previous year and reached the highest number ever recorded, at over 70,000.
Given 5 out of 6 women who are raped do not report it, this is a damning statistic.
“Why didn’t you report it?”
It is extremely daunting to report incidents of intimidation, harassment and assault for many reasons. There’s a reason that rape and sexual assault are vastly underreported. A 2013 study estimated that of up to 517,000 victims of sexual offences, only around 10.5% were recorded by police, and only 1% resulted in a conviction.
Will you be taken seriously? Are you being ‘overdramatic’? Will it bring back painful memories? Will you be able to articulate your story to the authorities, friends, or family? Is it worth it? These worries are all valid and normal, because harassment is all about power, and it by definition degrades the victim. Despite these obstacles, we would nevertheless strongly recommend that people report instances of harassment - whether you witness it, or are yourself subject to it.
Personal worries aren’t the only barrier to accurate reporting. Only in August of this year were charges relating to public sexual abuse actually detailed and made prosecutable offences. This 2018 inquiry into sexual harassment of women and girls in public places outlined gaps in the law, that organisations such as Our Streets Now continue to campaign to close. We need to be assured that our authorities can and will effectively deal with offences once they are reported, and stricter legislation is one of the first steps to achieving this.
Educate your sons, brothers & friends
While the above may help girls and women in the short term, we are acutely aware that a cultural shift is required, and that educating on discrimination from a young age is key to achieving this.
There is still a need for this conversation to move away from teaching women and girls they can prevent male violence by altering their own actions, and towards teaching men about their role in all of this.
In another example of positive steps taken over the past 18 months, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched a campaign earlier this year to focus on addressing the sexist attitudes and inappropriate behaviours exhibited by some men, in order to tackle the epidemic of misogyny and violence towards women and girls. Khan also released a renewed Violence Against Women and Girls Stratey for the next 3 years. The Stand Up program is also a helpful resource for allies, and they provide information and training on identifying and challenging street harassment when you see it.
In the immediate future, we need resources for parents and school teachers to encourage constructive and open conversation around women's issues, consent, and power dynamics at a basic level. Schools should also be encouraged to invite speakers, both male and female, to talk on topics of consent and violence against women. Free self-defence lessons for girls should be the norm.
We also need to see more men talking about the issues that we as women and other marginalised groups discuss at length. The shift that we need will not take place unless all of those ‘good’ guys start to challenge their male friends who do cross the line.
“We need men to reflect on the ways in which they endorse or even encourage misogyny, even if this is done unconsciously.” - Elle, VG writer
WHAT CAN YOU PERSONALLY DO RIGHT NOW?
We’ve collected some resources that we hope are helpful on a personal level over the next few months, when a lot of us will be on high alert:
Personal attack alarms - Beyond your typical alarm, which is often stuck at the bottom of a bag and easily lost, there are many options for your smartphone. An example recommended by VG writer Claire is Hollie Guard.
iPhone emergency SOS - Once set up, simply pressing the power button on your iPhone 5 times in a row triggers a call to the emergency services, a text to your emergency contacts, and emission of a loud siren.
Safety focused navigation - Apps such as Safe and the City allows users to access and share information about safe walking routes, providing real time updates, options to rate routes and report incidents, and allowing quick access to emergency services.
*Note: These are by no means an effective long term solution, but can help ease anxieties more immediately.
Add your name to UN Women UK’s open letter for Safe & Inclusive Spaces Now
Write to your local MP, feel free to use our above examples to call for the change you want to see in your community.
Petitions to sign:
Organisations supporting women and girls:
Victim Support - victimsupport.org.uk, 08 08 16 89 111
The Havens - thehavens.org.uk
Samaritans - samaritans.org, 116 123
Sistah Space - instagram.com/sistahspace_
AVA - avaproject.org.uk/
Resources for boys and men:
White Ribbon UK - campaign to end male violence against women
Beyond Equality - working with men and boys towards gender equality
