In 2021 why are women still not safe?

The start of UN Commission on the Status of Women 2021 coincided with what has been described as a 'moment' in the UK. Yes, this year we are in the throes of a global pandemic, which has truly exposed and exacerbated the divisions between women and men. Covid 19 has also highlighted the impact of systemic racism towards Black and minority ethnic communities and need for a planned recovery not just for the economy but also for the mental health of our nations.

But in the week following International Women's Day and Mother's Day in the UK, many of us became transfixed with the disappearance of a 33 year old woman, who had been missing since Wednesday March 3rd. 

This was happening during our 3 (or 4th - easy to lose track) national lockdown and she was last seen walking a short distance home from a friend's house. A journey that should have taken just 50 minutes. A journey she travelled many times before.

 

Her journey would've taken her across a public park space used by families, dog walkers and people taking their daily exercise. Sarah left her friend's house around 9.28pm, it was a short distance along some very busy roads and streets.

 

We knew that she talked on the phone to her boyfriend for 15 minutes of her journey as she walked home, wearing trainers, a bright jacket, woolly hat and a mask.

The disappearance was described as 'out of character' and her family and friends were worried. Over the next week, we see pictures of the police searching Clapham Common, searching lakes, conducting door knocking inquiries. Through the media we hear about possible sightings, descriptions of possibly routes she took home, appeals for doorbell and dash-cam footage. 

Added to this activity by the police, there was also the heart-breaking appeals from her family asking for anyone with information, to come forward.

But as the time goes on, there was almost a collective realisation that this was not going to end with a reunion on camera between Sarah and her family, hugs and tears of relief. It was not going to end with Sarah sitting on a morning talk show couch with her parents holding her hand as she explains she got lost, had amnesia or was just at home with a dead phone battery.

It was women who collectively realised, almost together, as a sisterhood that this was the story we had all been prepared for, our whole lives. Despite being on the phone to her boyfriend, Sarah was out at night walking alone -that was it. The circumstances that we had been warned about from an early age, that has become second nature to so many of us as women, to be out at night, on your own is to invite in the danger.

And we were right, on March 9th nearly 200 miles away a serving police officer and an un-named female are arrested in connection with the possible abduction of Sarah Everard. Was there shock that a police officer who had been assigned to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit was involved? No there wasn't because before he put on the uniform, he was a man.  The woman was later released without charge.

The next day, human remains were found in some woods in a large builder's bag. It was later confirmed it was Sarah. She wasn’t even afforded dignity in death.

There was a collective outpouring of grief, anger, fear, frustration leading to national soul searching. The message 'She was just walking home'.

Over the following days there were questions about the police handling of the case, whether the responsibility is with women to not put themselves in danger, if men should take responsibility for women 'feeling' unsafe, the role of government, and even, whether men or women are more in danger of being violently attacked on the street. All of this debate was a 'distraction' from the core issue for women - 'She was just walking home'.

Together, women found their voices to explain what we do as second nature to feel safe as we go about our everyday business, things that men didn't realise we do.  Many of us have walked at night with our keys between our fingers, have phone conversations (real or fake) to avoid eye contact, taken flat shoes with us on nights out, texted someone ‘I’m home’, checked the backseat of our cars, taken a photograph of a taxi because a friend has got into, avoided certain streets because of a lack of street lighting or even worn hats or hood so our hair can't be grabbed if we are attacked.

Once women started talking, we started to express the world we live in, one of hyper awareness, danger and extra caution. 

This shared experience is not just for women in the UK, but women and girls across the world. 

Nowhere is safe because we are taught early on that it is our responsibility to stay safe, if 'anything' happens we will have to do the explaining, “what were we wearing?”, “what time did it happen?” or “What did you do to encourage?” Seemingly, never holding the attacker to account.

Not even the UK justice system holds the attacker to account, even when they are reported. Over the past 5 years in the UK, cases reported to the police identified as rape have increased, however those leading to conviction have halved. According to the BBC: In the year to the end of March 2020, 58,856 cases of rape were recorded by police forces in England and Wales. These led to just 2,102 prosecutions, compared with 3,043 in the previous 12 months.

The disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard shook us awake from the narrative that women are more at risk from gender based violence from someone they already know, for many of us, we were  lulled into a sense of 'false security'. In reality, women are in danger from Gender Based Violence. Period. 

The danger is real, it hasn't gone away. And no it might not be 'All Men' but until ALL men realise they have a responsibility to create a society where women can walk home safely, where they won't be harassed just because of their sex, it will remain ALL men.  ALL men need to be hear what women and girls are saying - Gender Based Violence and Harassment needs to be treated with Zero Tolerance.  ALL Men need to commit to making our society safe for everyone, women and girls included. Not because we are their sisters, mothers, daughters or wives but because we are human beings who deserve dignity, respect and most importantly, safety.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/sarah-everard-exact-timeline-last-19994860

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48095118

The woman was later released without charge.