Alix Lane
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
By now we should all be aware of the horrific case of Sarah Everard that has sparked outrage all around the world regarding the safety of women. The last text sent from her friend, "text me when you get home safe xx," has rung a similar story with thousands of other women. The story is upsetting, and even more disconcerting is that the man was a police officer. Many of us girls understand all too well how uncomfortable we can feel in the presence of a man when walking home late or by ourselves. It is something many of us experience as teenagers, even children. Catcalling and harassment are norms in our culture that can actually put women in grave danger.
But why does this happen? Why do women have to be on guard so often in public spaces, walking with keys between their fingers, staying near lights, or always having friends on the phone? It is just something we are familiar with, and no matter what, we have to take those extra precautions. When walking home from work at a restaurant, I have friends who choose to walk up well-lit roads and have been yelled at by passing cars or men on the streets. We do not feel safe in our own neighbourhoods, and it is the fault of men who feel like they own our existence in the space and therefore can yell or harass as they please.
My first memory of being catcalled was when I was 13 years old, walking down a busy street in my home city during the summer to meet some friends for a fun shopping trip. A man on the side of the road looked me up and down and told me to "smile." I, before that interaction, had been having a great day and felt confident in my outfit and looks, but as soon as that old man said that to me, all I wanted to do was cover up and hide. I felt so ashamed and confused as to why I felt like that. Since then, I have had no patience for men who catcall or harass women, making them feel unsafe; it is not a compliment, it is not friendly. It is disrespectful and scary.
The root problem here is a societal norm of men being allowed to continue this behaviour and taught that it is okay. From an early age, a boy should have it explained that the way to treat women in public spaces is not to yell about her looks or follow her and make her feel uncomfortable.
Some may argue that not all men do this, but I say there are enough men who do this. A study has found that 97% of women aged 18 to 24 have been experienced sexual harassment. That is an unfathomable number to comprehend and, frankly, is disturbing to think about. Why do almost all women know someone who has been sexually assaulted? And we believe that is okay. This makes me think of the influential art exhibit showcasing the various outfits from both men and women that they were wearing during sexual violence. It shows that what you are wearing does not matter in the slightest, and this kind of thing happens to the least suspecting of victims.
We live in a world where this kind of thing happens way too often and to a much larger group of people than is acceptable. People need to be held accountable because, as women, we deserve to feel safe in our spaces like men do.
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